


The Parent Trap

by aryasnark



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Inspired by The Parent Trap (1998), Liverpepper's Kingdom Hearts Fanverse, M/M, Mild Language, Modern Era, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-09 19:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 58,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14722007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aryasnark/pseuds/aryasnark
Summary: When brothers Sora and Ventus agreed to spend a week of their vacation at a luxurious summer camp, they never expected they would end up finding their long-lost brother during their stay. However, it doesn't take long for the boys to get over their shock, and begin their quest of reuniting their fathers, who have not spoken to each other in 13 years.Inspired by The Parent Trap (1998), as well as the liverpepper/liverpops universe on tumblr (which is completely amazing). Mainly Cloud/Squall with some Riku/Sora and Axel/Roxas.





	1. Chapter 1

Sora Leonhart was doing his best to shove three bags' worth of content into a single duffel bag. He was desperate to prove his father wrong. The previous night the man had walked into his son's room with a scowl on his face, and declared that he was never going to need this much stuff for a week at summer camp. Sora knew he was right, but the boy had never been much of a light packer.

He groaned in frustration, shoving some of his crazy, brown spikes out of his eyesight as he continued his valiant attempt at zipping up the bag. It's not like he had taken that much more than what was on the list the camp had sent him as a guideline. Only three more books, his camera he'd received for his 15th birthday, and his iPad. And a few extra bags of candy, just in case.

The boy finally gave up after he started to feel the zipper breaking out on him. He sat on his bed next to it, closing his bright blue eyes and taking a heavy sigh. In truth, he was a bit worried about going to summer camp. He was very social, of course, and he loved hanging out with his friends, but this was the first summer he wouldn't be spending with his bestest friends at home. He was going to miss them all so much. Selphie, Tidus and Wakka. But most of all, Kairi and Riku, his two closest friends.

At least he wouldn't be going alone. His brother, older by a year, was coming with him. Sora was silently very relieved about this. And besides, if Ventus could stand to be away from his best friends, Aqua and Terra, for one week, so could he.

As if knowing Sora had been thinking about him, Ventus poked his head through the half-open door to Sora's bedroom. His brother looked very much like him, but he had sandy blonde hair rather than brown, and his spikes were a bit more in control.

"Packed yet? Dad says we're leaving in an hour." He didn't need a response though. Ventus smiled in amusement as he walked further into the room, glancing at the two books Sora had thrown on the floor after failing to fit them in the bag, and even then, it would not close.

"Dad said you don't need any of that," Ventus said, grabbing Sora's bag and beginning the process of unpacking and packing everything back, taking out anything that was unnecessary.

Sora sighed, sitting up on the bed, watching his brother. "Has he told you why he wants us to go?" he asked curiously. It was a valid question. A few weeks earlier, their father, Squall Leonhart, had announced that the two boys would be going to a camp called Atlantica, situated between the large city of Radiant Garden, and the smaller town of Destiny Islands, where the Leonharts lived. The man had given them no explanations as to why they would be going, but since the camp sounded like fun, neither boy had objected much.

"Of course not," Ventus smiled. His smile was always genuine and bright, and filled with such sincere kindness that it never failed to make Sora smile, too. Sora had a similar aura to him, but he was more energetic and positive, and had a knack for getting into trouble. And his big brother was always there to bail him out, without fail. "But you know dad. He never talks unless he has to."

Sora smiled a little. "I know," he said. It was something that had always confused Sora about their father, but he had become used to it. Their father was a good man, and they both loved him dearly. But sometimes they both wondered how he could be so different from both of them. He was caring, yes, and both Ventus and Sora knew that he would do anything for his sons in a heartbeat. But he was also a bit cold, and very private, sometimes to a fault. For example, the two children still didn't know anything about their mother, if they had ever even had one. Logically, they had. But if their father had ever been in love, he had never mentioned it. Nor had he ever explained why he preferred to be called Leon rather than Squall. These were things Ventus and Sora never expected to find out about their father. They had come to terms with that.

After leaving Sora with only one book to read, and discarding his second bag of candy, along with a few extra t-shirts, Ventus managed to close the younger boy's bag with ease. He smiled, ruffling Sora's hair in a way he often did. "Ready to go?"

"I'm ready," Sora smiled, swinging his bag over his shoulder and grabbing his phone, quickly texting Riku to let him know he was leaving.

_"I'm off! See you in a week, then." - Sora_

_"Get back in one piece. Call me if it gets too unbearable, I'll come pick you up." - Riku_

Sora flushed slightly at the idea of his best friend coming to pick him up in his brand new motorcycle. Riku was 16, the same age as Ventus, and had more freedom to roam around as he pleased.

Ventus glanced at Sora, snorting as he noticed the blush on the other's cheeks. He always got like that whenever Riku said or did something even remotely appealing. He just wondered when Sora himself would actually realize his true feelings for the boy.

_"Thanks. I'm sure it won't come to that, though." - Sora_

He put his phone away once he was met with the impatient gaze of their father. He had dark hair, like Sora, though nowhere near as unkept or crazy. His eyes were a mixture of grey and blue, and he had a rather distinct scar on his face, running over the bridge of his nose from one side to the other. It was something Sora and Ventus had both gotten used to, to the extent that Sora had mostly forgotten it was there to begin with.

Leon had told them at a very early age that they were both adopted. He had not specified anything further than that, but it was something the boys had become very much used to. It was something that explained the age difference, too. Despite Ventus being 16, Leon was only 32. And the man didn't seem like the type to knock up a girl at the age of 16. Still, sometimes Sora wondered. Surely he hadn't been alone in deciding to adopt a baby at such a young age, and then another one a year later. And, as Leon had explained, Sora and Ventus themselves were related. The way he had explained it, whoever their birth mother was, she had agreed to let Leon adopt both her two-year old toddler, and the one-year old baby. But whenever the boys tried to bring it up, their father's expression would shift to one of pain, and it was one they never wanted to witness. So they didn't ask. It didn't matter to them, anyway. They had a loving father. That was all that mattered.

"Problems with the bag?" Leon asked in his deep voice, raising his eyebrows. He knew his sons too well.

"Nope," Sora flashed a charming smile, showing his bag with far too much pride considering that he was definitely at the age where he should know how to pack his own bag without problems.

"Good," Leon nodded, smiling a little. He knew the truth, but didn't say anything. "We should get going, then." He handed Sora a plastic container, and gave Ventus an identical one. "You can eat some lunch in the car."

Sora nodded, exchanging a look with Ventus before heading towards their car, already peeking inside the container and smiling at the little brownies Leon had undoubtedly baked. Despite his appearance, Leon was actually a very good baker, something both the boys were very grateful for.

"Your aunt called this morning, wished you good luck at the camp," Leon murmured, turning on the car after making sure both the boys were safely situated in the back seat.

"Aww, I'm sorry I missed her call," Sora pouted a bit. He loved Aunt Ellone. She was kind and patient, and always brought awesome presents for the boys.

"Well, she had the audacity to call before noon," Leon smiled, keeping his eyes on the road.

"I don't always sleep until noon. I was just reaaallyy tired," Sora said quickly, turning to Ventus for confirmation.

Ventus smiled lazily, shrugging. "Don't ask me. I'm always asleep." This was true. Ventus was infamous for going to sleep early, sleeping late, and taking impromptu naps.

Sora rolled his eyes, but smiled. It was true. He then took the silence as an opportunity to finally talk to their father about this sudden plan to ship them off to camp: "So, dad, what are you gonna be doing while we're gone?"

Leon tensed, but only for an instant. If you blinked, you would have missed it. "I'm probably going to be doing some housework. Irvine and Zell might come over and help me fix the roof of the shed. Nothing exciting, I assure you."

Ventus and Sora shared another look. They weren't sure if they should believe their father. But then again, why not? The man had never done anything to suggest he was anything but ordinary. Other than the scar, which he claimed had come from falling on a bike when he was 15.

The rest of the trip went by in a flash, and soon enough they were approaching the camp known as Atlantica. And true to its name, it seemed to be very much focused on water sports. Even from the gates, Sora could spot a large waterslide, and some pools. Tidus and Wakka would love this place. Maybe, if Sora liked it, he'd bring his friends back next year. And the prospect of him indeed enjoying his stay was growing by the minute. He loved the water.

"This is gonna be awesome!" the boy declared without further ado, earning a chuckle out of his father.

"I thought you two would like it. Seems more fun than the regular camps."

"Sure does," Ventus said, glancing at his brother. He already knew he would have a hard time trying to containh his younger brother during their stay. It was going to be a long week.

 

* * *

 

Roxas Strife sat in the car, his face pressed against the window, his eyes closed. They had been driving for ages. The traffic going out of Radiant Garden was always such a pain, and they hadn't exactly left early. It was partly his fault, he had been too preoccupied with skating around town with Hayner, Pence and Olette to notice the track of time. His father had been livid when he'd finally found his son in the outskirts of town, on his skateboard, without a care in the world.

Luckily for Roxas, his father didn't stay long angry, and he wasn't that strict to begin with. Only when it was called for, and only when Roxas deserved it.

The boy glanced at his father, Cloud Strife, noticing how the man was completely focused on trying not to lose his nerve at the very last bits of traffic still plagueing their trip to the campsite.

The two were rather similar in appearance, with both of them sporting blue eyes and blonde hair. However, whereas Cloud's hair was a light shade of blonde, Roxas' was more similar to the color of sand. Roxas had always considered it a little funny how the two of them looked so similar, yet were not related in any way.

Cloud had told Roxas some years ago that he was adopted. Roxas had been the son of a very good friend of Cloud's, a woman by the name of Aerith Gainsborough. She had died two years after giving birth to Roxas, and Cloud had taken custody of him. Despite the man only being barely an adult himself, adopting the baby at 18. It was something he had never regretted, in the man's own words. And if he had been lying, he had never shown it.

Cloud had always been the most devoted of fathers, spending as much time with Roxas as possible, acting in the role of both mother and father. Of course there was Tifa, who was like an Aunt to Roxas, and their other friends, but it was not the same. Cloud was a single father, and not once had Roxas wanted anything different. The two were very similar, both quiet and private, often lost in their own heads. It was easy for them to endure the long silences, which were never uncomfortable. Even in moments like these, when Cloud visibly looked like he was about to start screaming in frustration, Roxas felt comfortable.

"How did you hear about this camp, again?" Roxas asked, his plan being to distract his father from the annoying truck driver in front of them, who insisted on driving at the slowest possible speed. Roxas knew his father preferred his motorcycle, Fenrir. Cloud got motion sickness in the car, and Roxas imagined that driving one wasn't exactly a picnic.

"Uh," Cloud tore his eyes from the road, briefly glancing at his son. "From Tifa. One of her regulars told her about it, said their daughter had the best summer of her life there."

Roxas chuckled. "Uh-huh." He found the idea of getting summer camp recommendations at a bar a little bit silly, but he didn't elaborate on it. He didn't really care. The camp sounded like fun, and Roxas would be lying if he said he didn't need to explore beyond his comfort zone. Sure, he had his friends, but other than Hayner, Pence and Olette, he didn't have too many people in his life he could confide in. Maybe this would be fun. Maybe.

While Cloud went to find a decent parking spot for the car, Roxas walked around, looking around the camp with mild suspicion on his face. He walked through the gates, raising his eyebrows as some younger kids rushed past him, laughing. So this was a camp for all ages. Great.

He knew he would be housemates with three other guys, which he wasn't that thrilled about. Realistically, he knew he couldn't have a room of his own, but he didn't like the idea of sharing a living space with people he had never met.

"Hey there! What's your name?" Roxas couldn't help but flinch a little as he was met with the wide smirk belonging to a man with flaming, red hair that stood in all directions, making the man look a little unconventional, at least as far as camp instructors were concerned. The man had an orange scarf around his neck, and a clipboard held lazily in one hand as he eyed Roxas, patiently waiting for the other to react in some way.

"Sorry, what?" Roxas finally realized he had been staring. What kind of people did they let into this camp? He looked back, hoping to find his father somewhere nearby, but no.

"I asked for your name," the man said in amusement. Upon further inspection, it became clear that the guy wasn't that much older than Roxas. Maybe 18, maybe 19. Definitely not what he had expected.

"Strife... Roxas Strife," the blonde murmured, clutching onto his bag.

"Roxas. Cool. Nice to meet you," the man smirked, obviously aware of the awkwardness in the air, but he didn't seem to care. There was something interesting about that attitude. "The name's Axel. I'm gonna be one of your instructors. Got it memorized?"

Roxas blinked, finding that last sentence to be a little bit overdramatic, but he nodded. Anything to get the guy away from him. "Sure. It's memorized."

"Great. Here's your room number and key. It should be right around the corner," the redhead handed Roxas a key with a wooden keychain displaying the number 13 on it. "See you around," Axel winked at him and then strutted off in a rather lazy manner, obviously looking for others to sign up.

Roxas stared after the man for a moment before regaining his composure. He started looking for the said room, and found it soon enough. True to Axel's word, it was just around the corner. The rooms they would be staying in were more like little, individual cabins side by side. That was better than what Roxas had expected. He quickly texted his father his room number, and then opened the door. There was no one else there yet, which was surprising, considering that he and Cloud had been a little late.

There were indeed four beds in the room, along with two dressers, a TV, a writing desk, and a small couch. It could definitely be worse. Roxas expected his father had spent quite a bit of his salary getting his son here. And he didn't understand why. He would happily have spent the summer skateboarding around with his friends, and maybe helping Cloud with fixing up Fenrir. He didn't need this.

But since he was already here, there was no reason to complain about it. Roxas sat on the bed furthest from the door, tossing his bag down. He didn't have long in his solitude, however, since a moment later, another blonde entered the room.

He looked about a year older than Roxas, maybe. He had a bright smile on his face, and he was carrying a guitar with him. "Finally! I came through the other entrance at the back of the camp, it took me forever to walk here! Man, the water looks amazing! Have you taken a swim yet? Probably not," the guy sat down on the bed closest to Roxas, smiling brightly. "I'm Demyx! Nice to meet you!" He extended his hand.

Roxas blinked thrice before he realized that he should probably react somehow. What was with this camp and weird, talkative folks with crazy hairstyles and equally crazy grins?

Still, he took Demyx's hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you. I'm Roxas."

"Roxas! Cool!" Demyx smirked, fiddling with his guitar, playing out a quick tune. "I know I probably look too old to be here, but I swear, I just turned 17. I've just heard so much about this camp, and this was my first year to be able to attend. I hope you don't think it's weird."

Roxas smiled softly. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad. Sure, a bit too talkative, but then again, so was Hayner, and the two of them were best friends. "No. Not at all."

Demyx was about to say something else when there was a soft knock on the door, and Roxas smiled in relief at the sight of his father.

"Looks like you found the place okay. It looks nice," Cloud smiled. It was rare to see his father smiling, but whenever he did, it was not wasted. Roxas always felt so calm and reassured with his father smiling like that.

"Yeah, it's nice. Thanks, dad," Roxas murmured, gesturing at Demyx. "This is Demyx. One of my roommates."

"Cloud Strife. Nice to meet you," Cloud shook the boy's hand politely.

"Nice to meet you, too! So you're Roxas' father? You two look so alike! You're really young, though, how does that wo....," Demyx cleared his throat, realizing he had asked too much. That probably happened to the guy on a daily basis. "Nice to meet you."

Cloud had ignored Demyx's babbles, only focusing on the parts of his speech that had not been invasive. "I should get going, but call me tomorrow, alright? And if you need anything, I'll come and pick you up. Call whenever."

Roxas nodded. He stood up and gave his father a tight hug, something a boy his age would probably be embarrassed to do, but he didn't care. And he highly doubted that Demyx judged him for it.

Cloud chuckled, ruffling his son's hair before pulling away. "See ya. Behave yourself, alright?" Though his father's baritone voice was soft, Roxas knew that that meant that he could not get in trouble. Cloud was trusting him with leaving him here on his own for a week. And Atlantica seemed like every kid's fantasy. So Roxas was not gonna screw it up.

"I will," Roxas promised, watching as his father left.

"So," Demyx spoke, wanting to break the silence. "Wanna go check out the pools? We have some time before the evening orientation."

"Sounds good," Roxas said, grabbing his swimming trunks from the bag, after which he followed Demyx out. Maybe this was going to be fun after all.

 

* * *

 

Sora was grinning from ear to ear as he entered their room. "Number 13! This is it!" he placed his bag on one of the two available beds, looking around. "Looks like we missed our roommates. Too bad."

Ventus chuckled, running a hand through his damp hair. "That's what happens when you insist on going for a swim before even finding our room."

"Dad said it was okay," Sora argued with a smile as he started unpacking his belongings.

"He said it was okay to go after taking our things to the room," Ventus corrected gently, but he didn't mind. He liked that Sora was having so much fun. He deserved it. The boy would find enthusiasm out of anything, but in all honestly, Destiny Islands was not the most versatile of places. So Atlantica was like heaven for them.

"Oh, it's fine!" Sora smirked. He took out his phone, groaning. "Here we go. He's already texted."

Ventus got out his own phone after carefully placing his bag on the last remaining bed. He smiled, staring at the message in the WhatsApp group chat created for the three of them (which Sora had dubbed 'the Lion Boys').

_"Call me if you need anything, ok? Anything." - Leon_

Ventus smiled, typing up a quick reply. "This whole thing was his idea, but in the end he was a lot more reluctant than we were."

"We're just too lovable, aren't we?" Sora joked, plopping onto his bed, his phone still in his hands. He was half in mind to call Riku, maybe, when the door to the room opened, and their two other roommates arrived.

At first they were greeted with the sight of a grinning boy, still in his swimming trunks, laughing about something. The boy noticed them, and to the Leonharts' surprise, his smile fell, and his eyes went wide. However, before Ventus or Sora could ask why, they got their answer.

The second boy had arrived, and he looked exactly like Ventus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have not written a fanfic in about two years, so have mercy on me. I recently got back into the whole Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts franchises (and I am very grateful for that), and absolutely fell in love with Strifehart upon playing KH2, and discovering some of their fanfics. I was really nervous about writing for them, or for anything related to KH/FF in general, because I have never done so before, and I didn't want to mess any of it up. Hopefully I will get better as the chapters go by, but if there are some mistakes here and there in this one, I apologize. 
> 
> Anyway, I really love the headcanon of Roxas/Sora being the children of Squall/Cloud, one way or another. I realized I should include Ventus here, because I doubt Sora and Roxas could really pass as twins. So hopefully the idea of Roxas being a year older than Sora doesn't throw anyone off.


	2. Chapter 2

**(14 years ago)**

_He closed his eyes in exhaustion as he sat in the empty hospital room. Only a few hours earlier, it had been occupied by a good friend of his. That very morning Cloud had gotten a call from the hospital saying that Aerith had gotten in a car accident, and that it didn't look good. He had dropped everything and rushed to be there for his friend, but it didn't matter. Aerith had passed away as Cloud had been holding her hand. The blonde stared at the very hand, frowning as if trying to understand what exactly had happened. It was surreal. This morning, his best friend had been alive, and now she was not._

_And what about the children? Cloud flinched as he thought about Sora, Roxas and Ventus, and what would happen to them now. Their mutual friend, Tifa, was looking after them right now. Sora was barely one years old, whereas Roxas and Ventus were two. How in the hell was Cloud going to explain to them that their mother was dead, and never coming back?_

_He chuckled dryly, tears still in his eyes as he kept staring at his hands. There would be no need to explain anything, would there? They were too young to know what was happening. They were too young to remember Aerith. And that thought hurt Cloud beyond belief._

_Aerith was a year older than Cloud, and she had had Roxas and Ventus at the age of 17. She had never told him who the mystery man was, only that he didn't want anything to do with her afterwards. And the same thing happened a year later with Sora. Cloud had been furious, wanting to know who it was that kept knocking his friend up, and then leaving her alone with three babies. But she never said. And Aerith was nothing if not stubborn._

_For a moment, Cloud considered calling Zack Fair. He was one of Cloud's other best friends, and they had been close all their lives. He and Aerith had dated briefly when Aerith had been 16, but Cloud knew he was not the father. He would never leave Aerith alone with the babies. And besides, he was in the military, had been for a few years now. So it couldn't be him, and Cloud couldn't bear to ask him for help when it came to the children. Aerith was his past, not his present. It wasn't fair._

_Cloud sighed. It also wasn't fair to dump the children in a foster home. They deserved better than that. In truth, the solution had been on Cloud's mind the second he realized the children would be left without a mother. But he hadn't allowed himself to process it. He didn't think he was ready to be a father. He was barely 18, and he had no money to speak of. His mother had left him her little house in the middle of Radiant Garden, and some money to go by, but not much. And Cloud's part-time job as a delivery man, along with his studies, was not enough to support three babies._

_Just as Cloud was considering the idea of getting a loan from the bank, maybe, the door to the room opened. Cloud expected it to be a nurse or a doctor, gently telling him to leave, but no. It was his boyfriend, Squall Leonhart._

_Cloud blinked, tears still in his eyes. He hadn't called Squall. How did he know to come here?_

_As if realizing what Cloud had on his mind, Squall answered: "Tifa. She called me."_

_He sat next to him silently, not taking his hand, not wrapping an arm around him. That was what Squall was like. A bit reserved, a bit socially awkward. But still, even his presence calmed Cloud enough for him to get his head straight._

_"Thanks for coming," Cloud murmured. Squall had also known Aerith, but not in the same way. Would he want to break up with Cloud now? He was going to be the single father of three children, after all. That wasn't exactly attractive._

_Squall nodded, glancing at his boyfriend. The two of them had met during the first year of high school, and they had become friends fast. And over time, that friendship had turned into something entirely different. "I'm so sorry."_

_"I know," Cloud whispered, closing his eyes once more. He felt so helpless at that moment. What was he going to do? He was panicking about the prospect of adopting three children, but that was only if he even got custody of them. Why would anyone give three babies to a poor, 18-year old guy with no family network to speak of?_

_Squall leaned closer, finally wrapping an arm around his boyfriend, pulling him towards him. It was as if he was trying to shield him from all this pain, but felt helpless because he knew there was nothing he could really do._

_"Squall," Cloud murmured, his face pressed against the other's shoulder. He didn't want to look the man in the eye as he said this. "I'm going to ask for custody. Of the babies."_

_It couldn't have come as a surprise to Squall. Cloud had been an honorary uncle to the three children from the get go, and had shown every sign of loving them deeply. And even Squall had grown quite attached to the kids. They were beautiful and gentle, just like their mother had been. And Squall didn't want them to end up in foster care any more than Cloud did._

_"I know," Squall said, causing Cloud to look up at him in confusion. He had expected anger, or at least disbelief. Or Squall trying to convince him otherwise. But no. This was his Squall. He wasn't like that._

_"I have to. For Aerith. I don't want them to end up with strangers," Cloud said, needlessly trying to explain a situation Squall already understood._

_"I know, Cloud, I know," the other said, touching the blonde's cheek with a rare smile on his face. He wanted Cloud to understand that he was all in. He had been all in from the moment they'd met._

_"All I ask is that you let me do this with you."_

_The room was silent for a long time, after which the silence was broken by the blonde: "What?" his voice was barely louder than a whisper, but his eyes were desperately screaming for Squall to mean it. He wanted Squall with him. He knew he could do it if he had Squall with him. But he had never dreamed of asking. Ever._

_"I want to adopt them with you," Squall explained. "I can't say I've had long to think about it, and it's not going to be easy, but... I can't let you do this alone. I love you. And I know I'll love them."_

_Cloud smiled. It was a faint smile, overshadowed by the loss he was feeling. But finally, he had hope. They could do this together. "I love you, too."_

_Squall smiled once more, pressing their foreheads together. "We'll make it work."_

 

* * *

 

**(Present day)**

Cloud's eyes shot up, focusing on the road ahead of him once more. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. The drive back to Radiant Garden was even worse than the drive over had been. That was the excuse he allowed himself for thinking about him. Or rather, them. He rarely let himself do so, because when he did, he always felt an overwhelming sense of grief. Grief over the loved ones he had lost. Aerith. Squall. Sora and Ventus. The last two were names Cloud never allowed himself to think of, ever. There was not a day that had gone by when he didn't regret agreeing to the arrangement the two men had made 13 years ago. It had made sense then, and it still made sense now, but it hurt. It hurt more than anything.

This was the first time Cloud was leaving Roxas alone for a longer period of time, and he had been dreading it for ages. There was no ulterior motive, really. He just wanted Roxas to have a good summer. Despite the fact that Cloud had a steady job as a delivery man (Fenrir was a good sport when it came to delivering packages), and working part time at Tifa's bar, it still wasn't quite enough to give Roxas the life he deserved. And this week, he would be working from six in the morning until midnight, taking all the extra shifts he possibly could, trying his best to keep their financial situation stable.

He sighed, trying his best to shove all those thoughts away. He didn't want to think about their situation, he didn't want to wonder whether Roxas was happy with their modest life, and he did not want to think about Squall Leonhart, and the life he had separated from. It was too late to change any of it, and it was too late to wonder what could have been.

 

* * *

 

A deep silence had fallen into the room. Demyx was looking between the two other blondes with a look of disbelief, while Sora had his mouth wide open, and his eyes ridiculously huge with confusion and surprise. Ventus and Roxas, on the other hand, were simply staring at each other, trying to figure out if it was true. If they were truly identical in looks. But there was no way around it. Looking at the other was like looking in the mirror.

"Uh, you two twins or something?" Demyx was the one who broke the awkward silence, trying to chuckle. "You had me going for a moment there, thinking you two didn't know each other."

Sora was the one to finally find his voice. "We... don't."

Demyx's smile fell, and he looked at Roxas. "Ahem, your dad has a secret love child?" he tried to joke.

"Shut up!" Roxas snapped, surprised at his own aggression. But he couldn't help it. He understood what was going on. Cloud had never said anything about him having a twin. Maybe he hadn't known. His father would never, ever lie to him.

But he knew that was bullshit. Cloud had known. And he had lied to Roxas his whole life.

Ventus and Sora exchanged a look. They were thinking similar thoughts about their father. Leon had never told them who their parents were, but he had never mentioned a third sibling, either. Why not? Why do this to them?

"You know what," Demyx cleared his throat, clearly feeling like a fourth wheel in the situation. "I'm gonna go check those pools out again. I think we missed a few just now. Ahem... later," he rushed out as if the room was on fire, closing the door behind him.

Roxas kept staring at the two boys. The brunette looked somewhat similar to both him and his twin. So was he his brother, too?

"Just who the hell are you?" he finally asked, hostility in his eyes. This was definitely not the way he would prefer to speak to his potential siblings, but the anger he felt towards Cloud, towards being lied to, had to be directed somewhere.

Sora was about to respond, but Ventus beat him to it: "We're Sora and Ventus Leonhart," he said, gesturing at each of them as he spoke their names. "Our father is Le-- Squall Leonhart," he explained.

Roxas frowned. Could that mean that his real father was a man named Squall Leonhart? The name was almost as ridiculous as Cloud Strife. No. Worse.

"He's our adoptive father," Sora corrected. He couldn't take his eyes off of Roxas. It was like looking at a very angry Ventus, which was surreal, since Ventus almost never got angry. But there was no doubt that the three of them were related. They even sounded similar.

Roxas grunted, sitting on the bed that actually belonged to Demyx, staring at his hands now. "My father's Cloud Strife. I'm adopted, too."

"Should we, uh... call our parents?" Sora spoke. "Ask them about this?"

Ventus frowned. "I don't know," he said. "This doesn't exactly sound like something to discuss over the phone."

"My father never mentioned me having siblings."

"Nor did ours."

"Maybe we're not," Sora said quickly. "Maybe you two just look alike. Doppelgängers exist, right?" he laughed nervously.

Ventus gave him a small smile which indicated how unlikely he considered that scenario to be. Roxas, on the other hand, closed his eyes in exhaustion. Why had Cloud lied to him?

 

* * *

 

 

"Are you sure this is something you want to be doing?" Zell asked for about the tenth time as he sat in the backseat of Leon's car. Irvine was sitting in the shotgun seat, lazily flipping through the radio channels. The two friends had agreed to come with Leon to inspect houses in Radiant Garden. He had been thinking about moving there for a few years now, and it was finally time. Or so he felt, anyway.

"And why not?" Leon asked, keeping his eyes on the road. He was silently daring Zell to be brave enough to mention Cloud's name. He wouldn't, though. No one did. Ever. But the use of pronouns seemed to be something his friend was brave enough to do.

"Because _he_ lives there?"

"He **lived** there. We don't know if he still does," Irvine intercepted, smiling lazily. "Wasn't he completely broke or something? Radiant Garden is not a cheap city."

Leon sighed. Sometimes his friends talked about Cloud as if he was just any old ex. He wasn't. And it wasn't just him. It was Roxas, too. And he had to admit, part of why he had been so eager to take the relocation his company had offered him was because of the boy. He had never dreamed of doing anything like this, but if he could run into his other son, even by accident, it would make everything worth it.

The prospect of seeing Cloud, however, sent a mixture of feelings down his spine. He didn't know if he wanted it or not.

"Don't talk about him, Irvine," Leon murmured, ignoring the offended look on the man's face.

"Zell started it!"

"Look, we're here," the brunette snapped, parking the car by the right neighborhood. It was one of the best ones in the entire city, and Leon just knew that his boys would love the house he had found. But there was the whole business of trying to convince them to leave their friends and move to a whole new place. It was likely they'd say no. But Leon didn't need to think about that now. He was here to check out the house, that was all.

"About time!" he rolled his eyes as he heard the familiar voice. He stepped out of the car and smiled in amusement at the sight of one of his good friends, Quistis Trepe, and his other friend, Rinoa Heartilly. He and Rinoa had dated briefly a few years ago. It had not worked out. To Leon's horror, he had realized that no matter how he tried, he was still thinking about Cloud rather than Rinoa, or anyone else. And that wasn't fair to Rinoa. Thankfully, the woman had happily accepted the role of friend instead.

"There was traffic," Leon murmured, giving both his friends a quick hug. Quistis already lived here, working as a teacher at a local college. Rinoa moved back and forth between Destiny Islands and Radiant Garden, balancing her work, and her social life as the daughter of the Mayor of Radiant Garden.

"We told you that beforehand," Rinoa said, smiling. "So, how does it feel to be back?"

Leon didn't respond. He had never been to this part of town before. It was one Rinoa had recommended, no doubt due to suggestions from her father. It seemed a bit too fancy for his taste, but it was a good neighborhood, and his sons deserved the best.

The man had not been to Radiant Garden since his separation from Cloud, an occurence he did his best to ignore and forget at any given time. But it still hadn't worked. He could still remember the exact look on Cloud's face when he'd walked out the door, and he could still feel the regret. It was a feeling that had never really left him, but had stayed with him as his constant companion.

Instead of answering any of the curious questions his two female friends were presenting him with, he walked towards the house, inspecting it. It was blue with a large front yard, a white picket fence, and an even larger back yard. The perfect family home. Leon couldn't help but snort. He felt like a fraud.

"Let's go inside, then. I've got the keys," Quistis walked past him, opening the front door. "There's bedrooms for both the boys and you, and even a spare bedroom you can have guests use. There's three bathrooms, room for a home office..."

Leon blocked out the rest of what Quistis said, more content with walking around the place than listening to the listing. It had always been a plan of his, to find a house like this, to settle down. But not like this. Not without...

"Leon? What do you think?" Rinoa broke the man away from his thoughts, and quickly enough he realized they had toured the entire house without Leon saying a single word, too deep in thought to care.

"I'll take it."

 

* * *

 

 

"So, you're saying our mother was a woman called Aerith Gainsborough?" Sora asked eagerly, eating a bite of his candy as he sat on his bed. Ventus was sitting on the floor, leaning against the dresser. Roxas was still on Demyx's bed, looking a lot less angry than he had before. After calming down, he had told the boys everything Cloud had told him. If his father hadn't been lying about that, too, then it was likely that the story of Aerith was true, and that she was also the mother of these two other boys. It was surreal, and made Roxas a little bit nauseous, but... there was no point in denying it.

"So said my dad. I don't see why he'd be lying," Roxas scrolled through his phone, finally finding a picture. Cloud had scanned and sent his son a few pictures of his birth mother, wanting him to have a piece of her with him. "There she is."

Both the boys lunged at the phone, obviously eager to see the face of the woman who gave birth to them. They stared at the picture for a while, faced with the image of a beautiful, smiling woman with brunette hair and green eyes, standing next to a blonde with blue eyes and a handsome smile.

"She was... beautiful," Sora whispered, tears in his eyes. Funnily enough, she looked much like he had always pictured her. She had the exact same color hair as Sora's.

Ventus nodded, clearing his throat. "Could you, uh...?"

"I'll send you both the pictures," Roxas murmured, ready to put his phone away when Sora grabbed his wrist.

"And the man? Is that your father?"

"Yes," Roxas said. "But like I said, he's not my biological father."

"How can you be sure?" Ventus asked. "I mean, I'm not saying he was lying, but they do seem pretty close..."

"I'm sure because my father is gay," Roxas said dryly. "And wouldn't it be pretty stupid to lie about not being my birth father, but still being my father? Come on."

Ventus blinked. "Right. Of course. Sorry."

Sora smiled, getting out his own phone and showing his lock screen to Roxas. It was a picture of him, Ventus and Leon at an amusement park, taken about a year ago. "This is our adoptive dad."

Roxas looked at the picture, nodding. For a moment he felt like there was something distinctly familiar about the man, about that dry smile on his face, and those grey-blue eyes. But he didn't try to explore the feeling further.

"So, what do you guys think happened, then?" Ventus asked after a moment of silence. "Aerith just handed one baby to Cloud, and two to Leon? Why?"

"No, dad adopted me when Aerith died," Roxas said impatiently. He didn't like talking about this. Even though he had never met Aerith, not in a way he would remember, he still felt pain when talking about her death. "Dad said that she had appointed him as my guardian in her will. I don't know about Leon. Dad never mentioned him." He chuckled dryly. "Though, dad never mentioned you two, either."

"What about our biological father, then?" Sora asked, hungry for more knowledge. He would never in his wildest dreams have believed he would be meeting his long-lost brother during this camp, but he wasn't complaining. Some things that had never made sense to him were finally starting to become clear.

"Dad told me that Aerith never mentioned him."

"That's weird," Ventus said quietly. He bit his lip, looking frustrated. "I wish our dad had told us even a fraction of what yours did you."

Roxas shrugged. "Maybe he didn't because Aerith was my dad's friend. Maybe he didn't know anything about Aerith."

"Does your father strike you as someone who would pick one baby out of three siblings and dump the other two for adoption?" Ventus asked, disbelief in his voice.

Roxas was about to say something, probably something a tad hostile, but then he actually stopped and thought about it. And the answer was clear.

"No."

"So it's pretty likely that Cloud and Leon knew each other," Ventus concluded.

Roxas frowned. "Your dad's not gay by any chance, is he?" The idea of Cloud and this Leon dating, and adopting the three of them together, sounded a bit obscure to him, but it was possible. Anything was possible at this point.

Sora shook his head, but Ventus shrugged, speaking: "He could be bi. He dated this woman called Rinoa a few years ago, but it didn't work out. He hasn't dated since, or before. So I guess it's possible the two of them were together or something."

"But if they were together, why would they ever break up and separate us?" Sora asked, showing just how naive he could still be. "They just wouldn't. I know our dad wouldn't, anyway."

"And my dad would?" Roxas asked, narrowing his eyes.

"No!" Ventus said quickly. "I mean, we don't think so, anyway. I think...", he glanced between Sora and himself. "I think we're all thinking the same thing. That our parents dated, and then broke up."

"It's so stupid, though," Roxas snapped, sounding rather annoyed once more as he got his phone out, opening his mailbox.

"What are you doing?" Sora asked, peeking over to check his newfound brother's phone.

"Sending Zack an email. He's an old buddy of my dad's, they've known each other since they were kids. If anyone knows, it's him."

"And he'll tell you?" Ventus asked. He couldn't deny it, he was curious to know the truth, too. But a part of him felt like it would be downright silly to trust any adult at this point.

"He's my godfather. And he's a big softie. I'll just plead and beg, he'll give in," Roxas murmured, writing the email with quick fingers and hitting send. "Hopefully he'll tell us, and we'll finally have some answers."

"And until then?" Ventus asked as the awkwardness settled into the room once more.

"We're brothers," Sora said, smiling brightly. "Might as well get to know each other."

Roxas wanted to argue, but he had a point. And in any case, until they got out of the camp, there wasn't much they could do. Might as well make use of the time and get to know the siblings he had been unaware of his entire life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, once again, I'm not sure if this is any good, so any feedback would be most welcome! As is probably clear, this fic is moving a lot faster in terms of "discovering" the identities than it did in the movie. But on the other hand, I'm pretty sure Roxas, Ventus and Sora are old enough to realize they're actually related, and since the fic is going to be focusing more on the angsty, relationship side of things, I decided there wasn't a need for the pre-reveal interactions the children had at the camp in the original movie.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys like it, and please let me know what you think, if you can :)
> 
> P.S. The idea of Aerith dying in a car accident was inspired by the wonderful fic called Come Home by LadyKarai. I'm sure you've all read it, but in case you haven't, you should. [Here's a link!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6488251?view_full_work=true)


	3. Chapter 3

Cloud was piling up the newly cleaned glasses on top of each other, deep in thought as he spent another evening working at Tifa Lockhart's bar/restaurant, called 7th Heaven. He didn't mind it so much. The work wasn't too hard, and he got to spend time with his friend, Tifa, as well as their mutual friend, Yuffie Kisaragi, who also worked there. Though, on most days, Yuffie was a bit too loud and a bit too enthusiastic for Cloud to be able to hold much of a conversation with her. After working all day at his other job, it was difficult to stay enthusiastic for his evening job. His boss at the delivery service, Cid Highwind, was really nice, and Cloud liked working there just fine, but he did get tired. And tonight, he was especially tired. Dropping Roxas off, driving right back, going straight to work, and then onto his other workplace... it wasn't the best of days.

"Aww, come on, Cloudy, cheer up!" Yuffie smiled brightly, wrapping an arm around her friend. Or attempting to. Despite the fact that Cloud wasn't the tallest man in the world himself, he still towered over tiny Yuffie.

"I don't need cheering up, Yuffie," Cloud murmured, pulling away gently, trying to scan for Tifa in the crowd. She could usually distract Yuffie when she knew Cloud wasn't in the mood.

"But you dropped Roxas off today, right? How are you gonna survive without him?" Yuffie smirked. "Face it, Cloudy, you're a softy."

Cloud said nothing. But once again, his mind wandered.

 

* * *

 

 

**(14 years ago)**

_"You are the biggest softy I have ever met, I swear," Squall's voice distracted Cloud, who had been holding baby Sora in his arms, talking nonsense to the baby, who just looked back at him with those bright, blue eyes._

_Cloud smirked. He glanced at his boyfriend before turning right back to the baby. "I can't help it. He's so cute. They all are."_

_Squall hummed in agreement. They had just managed to settle into an apartment in the middle of Radiant Garden. Squall had been wanting to avoid it at all costs, but he had ended up asking his father, Laguna Loire, for help. He was a very successful businessman, and loved his son very much. So, of course he had helped in a heartbeat. The five of them could not stay in Cloud's mother's small house, not anymore._

_"I think I just unpacked the last of the boxes. We should be good," Squall said as he sat next to Cloud, smiling down at Sora. Ventus and Roxas were taking a nap in their room at the moment._

_"Good. I hope we'll make it," Cloud murmured absent-mindedly. He meant money-wise. They had both just finished high school, and Cloud was already working full-time as a delivery man while Squall was working part-time, as well as studying at the local university. That had been Laguna's condition to helping them. He wanted his son to have an education. Squall had argued over it for a while, thinking that it wouldn't be fair for him to study, and for Cloud to give up that part of his life entirely. But Cloud had shrugged it off. He had chosen this life, and he was going to make it work, one way or another._

_"If we don't, we could always sell Fenrir," Squall teased, sneaking an arm around his boyfriend's waist as he smirked at the young man._

_"Oh, you wouldn't dare," Cloud snorted, looking at the man he loved. "Would.. would you?" There was hesitation in his eyes for a moment, but it was gone when Squall pressed their lips together for a quick, gentle kiss._

_"Never. I wouldn't do that to you."_

_Cloud smiled. "Good. Because I'd never make you give up Griever," he teased back, brushing his free hand against Squall's chest. He knew he had the lion necklace hidden under his white t-shirt, as he always did._

_"Griever was a lot less expensive, though."_

_"How would you know? I bought him," Cloud smirked, turning back to Sora, who was looking at them curiously. "Do you think he looks happy?"_

_Squall thought about it for a moment, smiling at the sight of their son. **Their** son. It felt surreal. It had only been a few months since the adoption had become official (Squall had a feeling Laguna had sped the process up due to his influence), but their family already felt so real. He loved his sons fiercely, and Cloud in equal measure._

_"I do," he finally said. "What about you?" he asked, brushing his boyfriend's crazy hair out of his face, trying to catch those beautiful eyes. And when their eyes met, and Cloud smiled, he knew he would always love him. No matter what._

_"I am happy. All things considered," he said. He didn't care that he had to work harder than ever before. He didn't care that he had to wake up at two in the morning to change diapers. He didn't even care that he would never get the education he had once dreamed of. He was happy. And he was going to make sure his sons were happy, too. It's what Aerith would have wanted._

_"Good," Squall smiled, kissing him once more before standing up. "I should go wake up Roxas and Ventus, or they'll never fall asleep tonight."_

_"Good luck with that. Especially with Roxas. He has a temper," Cloud chuckled gently, watching Sora, who had clutched his chubby hand onto his blonde spikes and was pulling lightly._

_"Thanks for the heads up," Squall snorted. Cloud could hear the other's deep voice as he went over to the next room to wake up their two other sons. As Cloud had expected, Ventus obliged immediately, but Roxas only grunted in response, making Squall plead a few more times._

_Cloud closed his eyes and smiled. If this was what his life was always going to be like, he would be a very happy man._

 

* * *

 

 

The boys didn't need to wait too long. About a half an hour later, Zack had come back with a response, which had been exactly what Roxas had expected.

_"Roxas, I don't know what's going on, but I am definitely not the right person to talk to about this. You should call Cloud and have him talk to all of you. This is such a shitty way for you to find out, by the way. How are you? How are Ventus and Sora? Tell them hi for me._

_But for that explanation, the answer is a definite no. It's not my story to tell, kid. Your dad would never forgive me if I spilled the beans. Sorry._

_Zack."_

Roxas had showed the message to his new brothers, who had grunted in disappointed. It was understandable, since they didn't know Zack.

"Please," Roxas rolled his eyes before starting to write his reply, his quick fingers typing at the speed of light, desperate for an explanation. Desperate for the truth.

_"Zack, please. I am begging you. We need to know, and we need to know now. I can't call my dad, not yet. I need to know what's going on first. And I'm pretty sure we've mostly guessed it by now, anyway. Our dads dated and adopted us, or something. Can you just please confirm or deny it? We're going crazy here. And if you tell me you can't "spill the beans," I swear, I'll come over there and punch you so hard you'll still feel it next year._

_Please."_

Roxas knew the threats wouldn't work, they were just there for additional impact. But the "please" would work. Zack loved him too much to say no. And sure enough, about twenty minutes later, a response came, and a file attached to it, too.

_"Alright, but you can't tell Cloud I told you, alright? I'm coming home in time for when you come back next week, and we'll tell him together. I want to be able to explain for myself._

_So, you three were right. You're pretty clever. Makes sense. You've got a lot of Aerith in you. She and I dated for a while when we were teenagers, but I swear, I am not the father. Honest. I was already in the army when she got pregnant. Anyhows, after she died (I'll talk more about that in person, I really don't have the heart to email about her death, hope you don't mind), Cloud and Squall decided they wanted custody of you three. Cloud had already been appointed as your guardian in Aerith's will, and we were all sure she wouldn't object to Squall joining in on that. She had loved them both. And the guys, they loved you from the moment they met you._

_They started dating in high school. They were actually pretty cute together, even though definitely not fans of PDA. They were in love, at least I think they were. So it made sense when they moved in together and started raising you three. But in the end it didn't really work out. I guess it's the stress of starting a family at 18. Buuuttt, they did not regret you boys. I can say that for sure. It's probably the one thing they never regretted. So don't you worry about that._

_I don't know exactly why they decided to split you up. I know it must have been hard on them, but maybe they just couldn't handle the idea of seeing each other regularly after breaking up. They split you up, Cloud getting Roxas and Squall getting Ventus and Sora. They weren't playing favorites or anything, they just had to pick. So don't worry about that, either. Before you ask, Cloud took one and Squall took two because of, well, money. This is a little awkward, but as Roxas knows, Cloud has never had the best financial situation. That definitely wasn't the case with Squall. I'd rather not discuss this too much, because I can't speak for either of them. I remember the last time I saw Squall. It was about a week after their break-up, and he looked... well, not good. I could tell the decision to separate you was eating him alive. And I know it's still eating Cloud alive. But they came to terms with it. What else can you do, ya know?_

_That's all I can really say. I can't explain why they never told you, or why you never met before. But it's an amazing thing that you have now. I'm real happy for you, kiddos. I can't wait to meet Sora and Ventus when I get there. But just let me ask. What the hell are you gonna do now? You're not just gonna go back to normal, are you? I suppose there's no coming back after this._

_I looked through my files on my laptop, and came across this. Thought you might wanna see it. I told you, they were cute together._

_Take care, lads. Call me if you need anything._

_\- Zack."_

Attached to the message was a picture taken of Cloud and Squall, no doubt back when they were both teenagers. They were sitting on a park bench, Squall's arm wrapped around Cloud, and the two of them engaged in a private conversation of their own. It was clear they hadn't realized Zack was filming them. And a good thing, too. They looked so in love, so... natural in that photo. Like it was meant to be.

But clearly it hadn't been. Why else would they have broken up?

"Well..." Ventus was the first one to break the silence after what felt like forever. Now they knew the truth, but what did that mean? How could they move on from this?

"Told you he'd cave," Roxas murmured, his eyes still on the picture. His father looked so happy. The smile on his face was unlike anything he had ever seen before. He looked relaxed, free. He looked like he was in love. It made Roxas' stomach turn. Why had they broken up? Why couldn't they all be a big, happy family now? Why had these two assholes decided that it would be better to separate them for life rather than work through their issues? Such idiots.

"What do we do now?" Sora asked. He was also looking at the picture, biting his lip. He agreed with Zack. They couldn't go back now, and it wasn't like he wanted to. He wanted to meet Cloud. He wanted their family to be whole again.

Ventus sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We can't let this go," he said. "We need to talk to them about this. We need to make this right."

Roxas nodded, finally tearing his eyes from the picture. It was about time they fixed this mess.

 

* * *

 

Leon had decided to stay in Radiant Garden for the night. It was a ridiculous idea, but he convinced himself it was simply due to the fact that he did not want to drive back home at night. But that wasn't the case at all. If it had been, he wouldn't be walking towards the familiar bar at this very minute.

It was insane. It was likely that the bar didn't even exist anymore. Leon remembered it as it had been once, run by Tifa's father, who always bragged about one day passing it down to his daughter, who seemed just as eager. It had been a popular hang-out spot for Leon, Cloud and their friends. Friends which Leon had mostly lost touch with after their separation. He hadn't wanted any reminders of Cloud. That had been naive of him. He could remember Cloud without having any triggers to do so. And he did. Every day.

Once he turned around the corner, he finally came face to face with 7th Heaven, which was situated right across the street. It looked as busy as ever, and to Leon's surprise, he could even see through the window that Tifa was indeed working there, and Yuffie seemed to be, as well. It made Leon smile ever so slightly. Maybe he could just go in and ask about Cloud. And Roxas. If he had the strength to do so.

Just as he was about to execute his plan, the door to the bar opened, and Leon stopped dead in his tracks.

There he was, just as handsome as he had been 13 years ago. That crazy, blonde hair, those piercing eyes, the tendency to dress in black no matter the occasion. That was his Cloud.

But no. Cloud wasn't his anymore. A fact that was made even clearer by the fact that the other hadn't even noticed him. It made sense, considering that Leon was standing in the shadows, not illuminated by a street light, unlike his former lover.

Leon watched with hungry curiosity as Cloud opened his phone, texting someone. Who? Roxas? A boyfriend?

He wanted, so badly, to walk over to the man he had once loved and to just say something. Anything. But how could he bring himself to do it? The two of them had not seen each other for over a decade, and Leon had no right to march back into the other's life. He wasn't even Squall anymore. He couldn't do this to Cloud. He couldn't do this to either one of them.

And without a word, Leon walked off, not looking back once as he disappeared in the shadows again. So, Cloud still lived here, and that meant that Roxas did as well. But now, Leon was a lot less convinced he could ever bring himself to confront either one of them. Especially since all the signs pointed to a fact that the man had tried to push away all these years. The fact that he was still in love with Cloud Strife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is slightly shorter than the last two, but that's because I'm probably going to post a second one today. It's completely my intention to finish this fic in the next week or so, or maybe the next two weeks. Simply because I don't like to leave things hanging, and because I currently have a lot of inspiration for the story. I hope you guys are liking it, I really appreciate all the feedback I've gotten so far!


	4. Chapter 4

Roxas was sitting outside their room, trying to enjoy the summer even a little. The previous night's orientation had not gripped the blonde even in the slightest, nor was he interested in any of the camp activities. Neither were Ventus or Sora (okay, maybe Sora did find the prospect of a water slide slightly appealing), but they were the kinds of kids who followed the rules, and they were both currently at one of the pools, playing water volleyball with the rest of the kids.

Roxas was content with playing on his phone, tormenting himself with thoughts of their past, and the fact that his father had lied to him for years.

"There ya are! I was beginning to worry," he looked up at the sound of the familiar voice, and frowned when he realized it was that annoying instructor, Axel. He looked as crazy as ever, though he had dropped that ridiculous scarf. How could he smile like that in this goddamn heat?

Roxas only grunted in response, turning back to his phone. He even did as much as ignore Axel as the redhead sat next to him on the porch.

"I thought I saw you at the pool, but apparently not. You got a brother?"

"Yes," Roxas murmured. He did not feel inclined to explain that it was a brother he had just found out about. It was none of Axel's business.

"Right. Not much of a talker, are ya?" Axel smiled, obviously not taking the hint. Or if he was, he was choosing to ignore it.

"Were you sent to come and get me or something? Is water volleyball mandatory now? Because if it is, I have a really bad fever and need to skip it," Roxas snapped, glaring at the man. He didn't know where this hostility was coming from, but he didn't reject it or try to hold it back. And it wasn't like the redhead seemed to mind.

Axel smirked. "It's not mandatory. It's recommended, not mandatory. I just wanted to check in on you, see how you were doing."

"I'm doing just peachy."

"You're very sassy, did you know that?" Axel chuckled, staring off into the distance. "I bet you did." He stood up, and at that moment Roxas realized just how tall the man was. Skinny and tall.

"I'll be right back, blondie. Don't go anywhere," without a word, the man disappeared. Roxas watched him go, momentarily forgetting about his melodramatic family situation. What the hell was up with this guy, anyway?

A few minutes later, the man returned with two popsicle sticks in his hands, both a light shade of blue. He handed Roxas one, and started eating the other himself as he sat back down.

"What the hell?" Roxas asked.

"It's ice cream," Axel chuckled, smiling at the boy. Something about the older guy's smile made Roxas want to smile as well, but he didn't. "What, your mysterious fever prevents you from eating ice cream?"

Roxas rolled his eyes, taking a bite out of the ice cream. It tasted good. Salty and sweet at the same time, which was a little weird. But it was good.

Axel seemed satisfied, and turned back to his own popsicle, eating it silently.

"So, uh, I know this is completely corny, but if you wanna talk about something-"

"I think I have people to talk to other than my weird camp instructor," Roxas snapped, slightly hating himself for being such a bitch all of the sudden. But thankfully, Axel did not seem to mind. He kept smiling.

"True enough. But in case those people aren't available at a given time, I'm here. I'm a good listener."

"Are you?" Roxas raised his eyebrows. To him, it seemed more like Axel liked to talk rather than to listen.

"I am. Get it memorized," Axel winked before standing up, watching the younger boy for a moment before beginning his walk back towards the pools.

"Thanks for the ice cream," Roxas called after him, despite wanting to stay silent. He didn't want Axel to think he was a completely obnoxious human being, after all.

"Anytime, blondie." With that, the redhead was gone - before Roxas could tell him to not call him a blondie, ever.

 

* * *

 

 

**(14 years ago)**

_It was going to be one of those nights, Squall thought to himself as he woke up for the first time that night. It was only midnight, and one of the babies had already started screaming. It sounded like Roxas. He had a lot of nightmares, a strange amount for a toddler._

_He sighed, rubbing his eyes in exhaustion. He glanced at the man sleeping next to him, smiling slightly. He was going to let Cloud sit this one out. He had been working all day, and had come home looking utterly beaten down. Squall often felt guilty about that, about how much Cloud had to work in comparison to Squall._

_As he stood up, heading towards the toddlers' bedroom, he thought about their life. It had now been four months since they had moved into their new home, and it had not been easy. Squall still believed they could make it, but it was hard. Their friends were helping, as was Laguna, and his sister, Ellone. They were all very caring and attentive. But they weren't there for the nightly feedings, the doctors' appointments, the angry tantrums. That was all Cloud and Squall, and it was hard. Cloud was tired all the time, and half the time he looked more like he was a walking corpse than the vibrant, shy man Squall had fallen in love with. Squall was no better. When he was tired, he was cranky, so he was almost always cranky. And a cranky Squall was not a nice thing to come home to. He knew that._

_As Squall entered the bedroom, he found that Ventus had not woken up despite Roxas' sobs. That boy could sleep through an earthquake. The man quickly rushed to the toddler, in the hope that Sora, sleeping in the nursery, would not wake up, either._

_"Hey there, buddy," Squall murmured, wrapping his arms around his son, kissing his forehead. The toddler looked at him with big, bright blue eyes and an utterly heartbroken look on his face. Nightmares must have been terrifying for babies._

_"Dada," it was the best a two year old could do, but it was enough to make Squall's heart melt. He smiled, nodding his head and pressing Roxas against his chest, calming him. "Dada's here, don't you worry."_

_He spent quite some time calming his son, humming a soft tune to bring him back to sleep, and in the end, it was almost one o'clock once he finally tucked the toddler back to sleep, smiling down at him. He didn't know if he was doing a good job as a father, but he was trying. Wasn't that the main thing?_

_Squall walked back into his and Cloud's bedroom, trying to sneak back into bed as quietly as possible. But it was too late. His blonde lover was awake, and looking utterly exhausted._

_"Roxas?" he murmured, rubbing his eyes, glancing at Squall, who had gotten back under the covers and wrapped an arm around his boyfriend's waist._

_"Yeah. I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you," he whispered, pressing a kiss against Cloud's neck. "You look so tired."_

_"I'm okay," Cloud said, an obvious lie. He ran a hand through Squall's hair, trying to suppress a yawn. "Is he alright?"_

_"He's fine. It's all fine. Go back to sleep, Cloud," Squall whispered in his ear, trying to soothe his boyfriend back to sleep. He expected it to be an easy job, considering how tired the other was._

_"M'not tired," Cloud mumbled, obviously lying once more. He tugged at Squall's hair, trying to pull him in for a kiss, maybe, but whatever he was doing, Squall would never know. Because within seconds, Cloud was asleep once more._

_Squall chuckled gently, placing a soft kiss against his boyfriend's forehead. "I love you," he whispered. He was not a man who said it often, but he always meant it, when he did._

_With that, he rolled onto his side of the bed and fell asleep within a few minutes. Yes, it was hard, but they were going to get through it. Squall was going to make sure of it._

 

* * *

 

 

Leon was watching with mild amusement as his father ran around his office, trying to find all the ingredients for the coffee. Only he could mess up something as simple as that, but Leon wasn't going to give him a hand. It was somewhat amusing, and definitely reassuring, to see that some things never changed, at least.

"I'm sorry for the mess, I didn't know you were coming to visit," Laguna babbled, running around the room for a moment before settling back behind his desk. It was weird seeing his father in a suit. It seemed too grown-up for him.

"Sorry I didn't call first. I just got back from Radiant Garden a few hours ago," Leon murmured. He still thought about Cloud. Seeing him had sent such a shock through the man that he still hadn't fully recovered.

"Is something on your mind? You don't visit very often," there wasn’t an accusatory tone in Laguna's voice, but Leon got the hint. He should’ve visited more. When he did visit his father's house, or invite him over, it was when Ellone was there, or when he was coming with Ventus and Sora. Never one-on-one.

"I, uh, I've just been thinking a lot about the mistakes I've made," Leon murmured, surprised at how blunt he was being, especially to his father. But he was never one to beat around the bush, either.

"Wow," Laguna laughed, an uncomfortable laugh, which Leon did not blame him for. This was definitely not what the older man had prepared for. "Anything in particular?"

Leon took a moment to respond. He stood up, going over to the coffee maker to pour two cups of black coffee, handing one to his father before speaking. "Cloud."

Laguna sighed, shaking his head. "Son, we have been over this. It's not your fault what happened. And separating the kids, it was horrible, and I regret it, too." Leon could tell the man was being sincere. "But it's done. It's been 13 years. You can't beat yourself up over it."

"Actually, I'm regretting the whole thing."

"What, being with Cloud?"

" _Leaving_ him," Leon specified, staring at the black liquid in his cup. He felt now, more than ever, that he had been a complete idiot. They could be a happy family right about now. They could all be together.

Laguna took a moment to think about those words. Leon knew he would be getting no sage advice from his father. He just wanted someone to talk to. Someone who wouldn't hold this over his head like Irvine would, or convince him that he deserved better, like Zell would. And he did not want the harsh criticism that would be faced when opening up to Quistis or Rinoa. He just wanted to talk to his father.

"Son, that's done, too. You can't change it," his tone was gentle, as if he was trying to explain to a child that once he's broken a toy, he can't magically mend it.

"I know that," Leon whispered. "You know, he still lives there."

"He does? Well, I'm not surprised. His friends are there. His support system."

"What fucking support system?" Leon suddenly spat out, glaring at his father. He was silently surprised at his own outburst, but he couldn’t take it back now. "I left him, and he had nothing. I should have... I should have done something. He was all alone. He and Roxas, and I..."

"It is not your responsibility to take care of him. It wasn't then, and it isn't now. Isn't that just about what Cloud told you himself?" Laguna raised his eyebrows. "Do you not remember those long arguments the three of us had, me offering him some money to help, and you doing the same? He refused us, every single time."

"He just wanted to get rid of me. Because he thought I didn't want it anymore. That I didn't want _him_ anymore." Leon closed his eyes. The day he had left Cloud, he had stopped being Squall and had become Leon instead. Had he made the right choice? He knew now he hadn't.

"Well, you didn't," Laguna said, sounding helpless once more. "Right? You did leave him."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Leon whispered, placing his untouched coffee back on the desk. "It was a mistake to open this back up again."

"No, son," Laguna stood up quickly, grabbing onto his son's hand. "If you think it was a mistake, then... it's too late to change what happened. But you can fix the future. You're moving to the same city he is. See him. Talk to him."

"I did. See him," Leon whispered. "Across the street. He didn't notice me."

"How did you feel?" Laguna asked, clearly curious. His relationship with Squall's mother had been brief, but it had been full of romance and passion. He knew all about longing. He would do anything he could to have Raine back. And if his son wanted Cloud back, he would encourage him wholeheartedly. It was not every day you got a second chance in love.

"Like no time had passed," Leon whispered after a moment of composing himself. "All this time, and nothing has changed."

There is frustration in his voice, but even more so, a sense of confusion. Laguna couldn't blame him. Love was really frustrating sometimes, and really difficult to understand.

"Then, the next time you see him, talk to him. It's not too late, son."

Leon said nothing, but Laguna could tell he had heard his advice, and was considering it. "Thanks, dad."

"Anytime," Laguna smiled brightly. He truly meant it. "Anytime, son."

 

* * *

 

Cloud was rushing through the door, doing the tie of his suit with shaky fingers as he walked past the occupied tables over to where his companion waited. This was a fancy restaurant, and definitely not one Cloud would have chosen himself. But when you dated a rich defense attorney who insisted on flaunting his wealth, you went where he wanted.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," he said breathlessly as he sat down. He had just gotten off work for the night, and the restaurant had been a bit further away than he had anticipated.

"No matter, you're here now," his boyfriend, Sephiroth, spoke in that sly, soft-spoken tone of his. He was a handsome man with silver hair and a confident smile. Cloud had only been dating the man a few months now. They had met when Cloud had been delivering a package to his office, and had hit it off. At least that's what Cloud thought. It had been so long since he had even entertained the notion of going on a date, let alone gone on one, that he wasn't really sure if he was doing the right thing here. If it was really alright to be going out with Sephiroth when his mind was still filled with thoughts of Squall.

But a more emotional part of him told him to move on. It had been 13 years, and Squall didn't care about him. Maybe Sephiroth didn't, either, but it was a start. Cloud had to open his heart again, or he would be alone forever.

"Work ran really long," Cloud explained, taking a sip of water as he scanned the restaurant. "This is a really fancy place. I feel a little underdressed."

"You look perfect," Sephiroth argued, smiling at the man. "I hope you don't mind, I already ordered."

Cloud shrugged. "It's alright." Sephiroth was like that, sometimes. He liked to take control, and for the most part, Cloud didn't mind. But sometimes, he silently wondered what Sephiroth would be like if Cloud ever said no to one of his suggestions. The man was somewhat notorious for getting what he wanted. Tifa had warned him about the man, but he hadn't listened. Or, well, perhaps he had, to an extent. For one, he was yet to introduce Sephiroth to Roxas, or even invite the man to his house. Their relationship was still very casual, not going beyond a goodnight kiss. And that was the way Cloud preferred it. At least for the time being.

"How was work?" Cloud asked, knowing that once he asked, Sephiroth would go on about his day and about the remarkable accomplishments he had made during it. With every word the man spoke, Cloud became less convinced that this was the man he wanted to spend his life with. But that wasn't even the point, was it? Cloud just needed someone to move on with, to forget Squall Leonhart once and for all.

Though, as Cloud watched the sly smile on the other's face, he felt that perhaps he had picked the wrong person to date casually. Sephiroth did not strike him as a man you walked away from easily.

 

* * *

 

"So, what's the plan?" Demyx asked eagerly, sitting on his bed, watching intensely as the three brothers circled the room. They had until Saturday to come up with a clever plan, and they were nowhere near to finding one. All they had so far was ambushing both Leon and Cloud at the gates and forcing the men to explain everything to them. But somehow, that seemed like it wouldn't end in good result.

"We could just call them and ask them to pick us up early," Sora suggested. "That way, they'll be the only parents on the parking lot. They'll spot each other, their eyes will meet, and they'll fall back in love. And we can all move in together."

"How old are you again?" Roxas asked impatiently, shaking his head. "Unless your dad is some lovestruck idiot, that isn't going to work. My dad isn't like that. So, no. And anyway, I think we should first meet the other parent and make sure this is even what we want."

"What does that mean?" Ventus asked.

"I mean, what if I hate Leon? And what if you guys think Cloud is a moron? What if we don't even **want to** live together? We don't have to do this, you know."

"Oh, come on, you don't mean that," Demyx ruffled the other blonde's hair. "You are just as excited to meet dear old dad as they are. And you're just as excited to get them back together."

"Shut up," Roxas snapped, glaring at his friend. Demyx was right, though. About all of it.

"So, now that we know that's off the table, what **do** we do?" Ventus asked. He glanced between Sora and Roxas, trying to think of something. But the idea of confronting the parents still seemed like the most sensible option.

Sora looked at Roxas, and then at Ventus. And then he smiled. "You know what we could do, though?" he asked.

The boys turned to their brother, completely oblivious to just how crazy a plan their sibling had just come up with in his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the idea of Roxas being the one with most nightmares from the wonderful, amazing tumblr blogger liverpepper, who has created this whole universe around the idea of Squall and Cloud being the parents of Roxas and Sora. I highly recommend you check it out if you already haven't, the blog (and its counterpart, liverpops) is the best thing I have ever seen, I swear. [Here's the link!](http://liverpepper.tumblr.com/) And I am sure some of my other Strifehart family headcanons also come from there, but as I have read and seen so many of these headcanons from different sources, I can't always be entirely sure. What I do know is that there are so many amazing edits, fanarts and fics of the Strifehart family together, and it makes me so happy. It's basically canon now, for me.


	5. Chapter 5

"You want us to do _what_ , now?" Roxas stared at his brunette brother in disbelief, his eyebrows raised as high as humanly possible. This had to be a joke. It was too stupid to work... right?

"Think about it! You and Ventus look identical," Sora smiled brightly. "This way you two can switch places, and you can see Leon," he said to Roxas. "And you can see Cloud," he smiled at Ventus.

"But what about you, Sora?" Ventus asked with a gentle smile on his face. "You won't be able to see Cloud."

But as expected from his extremely positive brother, Sora only grinned. "I'll hear about him from you. And besides, I will get to meet him. We'll make this all right. We'll bring our family back together."

"And how is this going to accomplish that?" Roxas asked.

"Well, at the end of the... plot, we just tell them the truth and they'll be forced to interact when switching us back," Sora explained. "Sure, they'll be mad, but I don't think they'll hate us or anything. I bet they're as curious about us as we are about them."

Roxas sighed. It sounded like such a stupid plan, far too stupid to work, but... maybe not. And if they were found out, what would they lose? Sora was right. Their parents would be forced to interact. It was perfect, really.

"But what about the fact that Ventus and I could not be more different, huh?" he pointed out, gesturing between the two of them. "He's as good and.. sweet as they come, and I'm-"

"A little bitch," Demyx finished unhelpfully, earning a shove from the other boy. "Hey, it was a joke!"

"He's got a point," Sora frowned. "Well, we'll just try to make sure you act like each other. Your hair is pretty similar as it is, and your styles are not **that** far off. I think we can manage."

"What if I don't want to do this?" Roxas asked. His situation was different. Cloud was all he had ever had, unlike Sora and Ventus, who had also had each other. He was not utterly willing to give up his father, despite everything.

Sora sighed. He walked over to Roxas, smiling at him, doing his best, most encouraging smile. "It's only for a little while. We'll keep in touch with Ventus through texts, and he'll make sure Cloud's alright. And hey, it means you and I can get to know each other better."

Roxas frowned. But internally, he had already agreed to the idea. He just didn't want to appear too eager. Somehow, Sora seemed to sense this, and he hugged his brother tightly. "It's gonna be awesome!"

 

* * *

 

Irvine was sitting at the kitchen table, watching his friend lazily as he walked around the room, running a hand through his brown hair.

"You look like dad when you do that pacing thing," Ellone, his sister, commented with a bright smile on her face. She was aware of the discussion Leon and Laguna had had in their office earlier today, but she knew Irvine was not, so she kept silent. It didn't surprise her in the slightest, though. It had always been clear to her that Leon-, no. That Squall was still in love with Cloud.

"I do not," Leon snapped, finally sitting down. "I'm just trying to figure out a way to tell the boys about the move."

"You should have thought about that before buying the damn place," Irvine said.

Leon grunted. It was true. But it had been an impulse decision, one that Leon had never made before, and would probably never make again. But now, more than ever, he wanted to do it. He needed to do it. "They have such good friends here. They're gonna be so pissed."

"They can have the kids visit, it's only three hours away," Ellone said gently, smiling at her brother.

"They won't care. It'll be too far. Sora is especially gonna be crushed. He and Riku are inseparable."

Ellone sighed, wrapping an arm around her brother. "Just explain to them that it's good for your career, and that.... that it's also good for you. That it'll make you happy."

"Why in the hell would moving to Radiant Garden make Leon happy?" Irvine interjected. " **He** lived there. It's nothing but a bunch of bad memories."

"He _lives_ there, Irvine. And it's more than just bad memories. It could be a second chance. Maybe," Ellone said, glancing at Leon, who had turned a bright shade of red.

"Stop it, sis," Leon whispered, glancing nervously between his friend and his sister. "Ignore her, Irvine. It's nothing. I-"

"Oh, shut up. It's not like it's a big surprise you're still in love with the guy. But I didn't think you'd actually be willing to give it another shot. You seemed pretty determined when you dumped his skinny ass," Irvine chuckled.

Leon decided that he hated everything about this conversation. He hated the way Ellone was suggesting at a future that would probably never happen, he hated the way Irvine was smirking at him as if he knew all that the man was thinking, and he especially hated the way Irvine made it sound like Leon had just dumped Cloud without a second thought, taking two thirds of their kids with him in the process. It hadn't been like that. Not really.

"Alright, alright, let's not do this, then," Ellone said gently, defusing the tension. "When it comes to Sora and Ventus, I wouldn't be worried. You raised two gentle, understanding boys. They'll make it work. And Riku, Kairi, Terra and Aqua will come visit. I know they will. Don't worry about them," she kissed her brother's cheek before standing up to make them some tea.

Leon buried his head in his hands. He found himself wondering if Cloud ever had any problems like this with Roxas. Probably not. The blonde was good at everything, always managed everything despite the stress and the sadness. Nothing fazed him.

 

* * *

 

Cloud was standing in Sephiroth's apartment, looking around awkwardly. He hadn't really wanted to come here, and had said as much. But somehow, he had still ended up being led to the fancy penthouse at the highest floor of a luxurious apartment building. And all he wanted to do was get out. This was a mistake, everything about this. And in that moment, as he looked around at the expensive paintings on Sephiroth's walls, and the wine collection sitting on an expensive drink cart, he missed Squall more than ever before.

It was decided, then. No more dating. Ever. He would die alone. He'd deal. He always did.

"What's wrong?" Sephiroth's voice brought Cloud back to the real world, and he was met with the cool gaze of the older man. He was holding a glass of scotch in both hands, giving one of them to Cloud.

"Nothing," Cloud murmured, taking the drink, but not sipping it. "I shouldn't be drinking, I have to leave in a minute. I can't drive Fenrir when drunk..."

"Why are you leaving? You just got here," Sephiroth said, eyeing Cloud suspiciously. Either he was really poor at reading people, or he was choosing to ignore how uncomfortable Cloud was. And the blonde was truly afraid that the answer was the second one. He was a lawyer, after all.

"I think we're... moving a little too fast is all," Cloud said quickly, attempting to hand the drink back to Sephiroth, but the man didn't take it. "I'm not ready."

Sephiroth chuckled in amusement, and in that moment, Cloud felt truly worthless. "You're a grown man, Cloud. How are you not ready?"

Cloud bit back the insult that was trying its hardest to escape his lips. He placed his glass on a nearby table, walking past Sephiroth. "I'm just not interested."

For a second, Cloud thought that perhaps he was in the clear. And then a strong hand grabbed onto his wrist, twisting hard enough to make Cloud hiss in pain. He turned back around, an alarmed look on his face. Sephiroth did not just do that to him. He couldn't have.

" _You're_ not interested in _me_? You've got to be joking," Sephiroth said, his voice a little dangerous as he stepped closer. Cloud had been right. This man did not take well to being rejected.

"Get your hand off me," Cloud hissed, glaring up at the older, taller man. He was tempting fate right now, but he had to stand his ground. Maybe, if it'd come down to it, he could even beat Sephiroth in a fight. But he didn't want it to come to that.

"Is this what you do, then, Cloud?" Sephiroth snapped, only holding his wrist tighter. "Date men, make them take you on expensive meals, waste money on you, and then just deny them the second it's your turn?"

Cloud wanted to snort. He wanted to laugh. This was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. Sephiroth was sick. And Cloud had to get out of here this very second.

He shoved Sephiroth away, releasing the older man's grip on him. He backed away, anger in his eyes. "Don't worry. You're never going to see me again."

Just as he was about to exit the apartment, he flinched at the sound and feel of a glass smashing against the wall right next to his ear. Sephiroth had actually thrown his expensive glass of scotch, only missing him by inches. Cloud had a feeling he had missed on purpose.

"We'll see about that," was the last thing Cloud heard Sephiroth say before he rushed out of the apartment, walking with haste to the elevator, shaky fingers pressing the button to reach the ground floor.

Once inside the safety of the elevator's closed doors, Cloud closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing. How could he have been so stupid?

 

* * *

 

**(14 years ago)**

_"What are you doing?" Cloud smiled gently as he felt strong arms wrap around his waist. He was currently trying his best to sort out the mix of dirty and clean laundry on the floor of their bathroom. But the distraction was welcome. It always was when it came to Squall._

_"Trying to get you to relax. You look so tense," Squall murmured, pressing a kiss against the back of Cloud's neck._

_"Well, yeah, being a parent and all," Cloud said absent-mindedly, continuing with the clothes. "As much as I'd love this," he said, gesturing at the way Squall kept kissing his neck. "I have to go to work in an hour. I don't have time. Besides, the kids."_

_A great downside of having children indeed meant that sex was non-existent, and that had also been the case for Squall and Cloud for a while. It didn't help with the stress of everything else._

_"An hour is a long time," Squall pointed out, smiling against the blonde hair at the back of Cloud's head. He knew they weren't going to get anywhere, he just liked teasing his boyfriend. He wanted to see the other smile. It happened so rarely these days. It had been eight months since the adoption, and they were still holding it together. Barely, but they were. Though it seemed to come at the expense of the sanity of the men, and their love life as well._

_"Squall," Cloud chuckled, turning to look at his boyfriend in the eye before turning back to the laundry. "Sure, it's a long time. For me to put the laundry in the machine, make lunch for everyone, and pay some bills. Plenty of time, sure."_

_"Don't be sassy, you know that gets me going," Squall teased, biting his boyfriend's neck gently, causing the other to physically shove the brunette away._

_"You're such a troublemaker. Never would have thought," Cloud smirked, glancing at his boyfriend before finally finishing with the laundry. He let Squall sit there on the floor, watching him as he placed the dirty clothes in the washing machine. "What are you staring at?"_

_"You," Squall snorted. "Is there anyone else here?"_

_"Now look who's being sassy," Cloud smiled. It felt good to smile properly again. He was so tired all the time, but not right now. Now he felt good. Happy._

_He leaned closer and placed a rather passionate kiss on his boyfriend's lips before moving away, not giving the other time to react._

_"Hey, no, come back," Squall chuckled, trying to grab onto Cloud's hand._

_"You won't want that in a minute," Cloud murmured as he looked at the time. It was almost 9 o'clock, which meant..._

_And before Squall could ask, the doorbell rang, and the sound both Ventus and Roxas shouting to inform their parents of this broke through, much louder than you'd expect from two toddlers._

_"That'd be Zack. He's watching the boys this morning. You," Cloud turned back to Squall, kissing him one last time. "Have to be on campus in fifteen minutes."_

_Squall groaned. He stood up with reluctance, smiling at his boyfriend._

_"Come on, let's mosey," Cloud winked, grabbing Squall's hand as he led him out of the bathroom, and back to their regularly scheduled day to day life._

 

* * *

 

 

Once home, Cloud buried his head in his hands and allowed himself to cry. How had he gotten himself in this situation? He hated himself for bringing such a lunatic into his life. He hated himself for possibly subjecting this man to Roxas, if he stayed good on his word and kept haunting Cloud. And he absolutely hated himself for letting Squall walk away from his life. He could have three, wonderful children now, along with a man who loved and respected him. But no. Instead he was in his tiny livingroom, his hair stinking of scotch, crying due to his miserable life.

 

* * *

 

"So, you do not ask Leon about his scar, ok?" Sora spoke. "He said he got it when he fell on his bike when he was 15, but he gets real edgy when we ask him about it."

Roxas sighed. "Probably because he didn't fall on his bike when he was 15. Adults lie. Hasn't that been established?"

Sora frowned, looking at Ventus, who simply shrugged. "I dunno."

Roxas resisted the urge to mock Sora's intelligence a bit more, instead deciding on giving the boys similar instructions to what he had just gotten. "Cloud's really quiet, but he's not that strict. He doesn't like talking much, but he doesn't mind it when you do. Just... you know, be cool. Don't get overly cuddly, because that's not me, and he'll get suspicious. He works a lot, like a lot, a lot. He has to, cause...," he paused. This was something that was a little awkward. Their financial situations were nowhere near similar.

"Cause you guys don't have money?" Sora's eyes went wide with sympathy. "Oh man! Do you want some of mine? I brought some cash-"

"Sora, please don't," Roxas groaned, burying his head in his hands. How was his brother like this?

"I'd like some cash," Demyx said, smirking brightly. His suggestion, however, was ignored.

"So, we're really doing this?" Ventus asked. "It's gonna be hard, to lie. Especially for me. You have Sora helping you. I'll have to manage alone."

"We'll text you constantly," Sora reassured his brother with a wide smile. "Don't ya worry. It's gonna be great!"

Roxas and Ventus shared a glance, for the first time thinking the exact same thing. It most likely was not going to be great, nor was it going to end well. But it was the best chance they had, and their first step towards bringing their family back together. And they were going to do everything in their power to do just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters in one day, I feel a bit embarrassed :P call it procrastinating. I have a few exams coming up and I need some time to relax after studying, and writing Strifehart definitely makes me feel better. Also, I highly doubt I could write a character like Sephiroth well at all, so I apologize for that.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been a pretty successful week overall, at least when it came to "the master plan", as Sora called it. The three of them, with help and encouragement from Demyx, had come up with a way to do this. When Cloud came to pick up Roxas, Ventus would be going along instead, and when Leon showed up, Sora and Roxas would go with him. They would take each other's stuff, and try their very best to act different from their normal selves. They'd observe the parents for a while, and then come up with the perfect plan to bring them all back together. They did not have said plan yet, but Sora was convinced that it would come to him soon.

Roxas sighed, running a hand through his hair. It felt weird, to say the least, to see Ventus standing in front of him, wearing his clothes, holding his phone. "So, uh, what about our friends?"

"I think we can tell them the truth," Roxas murmured. "Doesn't really matter. It's not like they communicate with our parents."

"What about Zack? He said he was coming home," Sora pointed out.

Roxas turned to Ventus. "Well, you'll just tell him the truth. He already knows we know."

"But he's just going to tell Cloud, isn't he?" Ventus asked, raising his eyebrows. They had forgotten about Zack. This could be a problem.

"No," Roxas snorted. "No. He's way too mushy for that. You'll just feed him some speech about how much you want to bring Leon and my dad back together, and he'll help."

"He sounds like a pushover," Ventus chuckled, grabbing Roxas' bag and swinging it over his shoulder.

"Nah. He's just nice like that. And he and dad have been friends for way too long for him to not help. He wants him to be happy as much as we do."

"I guess that's nice. Having someone to help me," Ventus smiled.

Suddenly Roxas' phone, currently in Ventus' hand, started to ring. It was Cloud.

"Crap, crap! What do I do?" he panicked.

Roxas sighed. Cloud had called a few times during the week, but Roxas had obviously been the only one to talk to him. Same with Leon and Ventus and Sora. But now they would have to do more than to fake being the other kid on the phone. They would have to actually be them physically, too. So, to Roxas, this was good practice. Even if he did want to hear his father's voice.

"Answer it," he said calmly. "And do not sound panicked."

Ventus nodded, pressing the button to accept the call and moving the phone to his ear. "Hey, dad, what's up?"

Roxas sighed. Ventus sounded far too enthusiastic. This was going to go to shit. He just knew it.

"Uh, well, I'm here, in the parking lot. Want me to come over there, help you with your bag?"

"No! No! Just stay right there, I'll be there in a minute. Bye now," Ventus quickly ended the call, blushing bright red. "Uh... that didn't go well, did it?"

Demyx was laughing, watching the siblings in amusement. "That was hilarious!"

"'Bye now'?" Roxas buried his head in his hands. "Ven, if at all possible, do your best not to sound like you're actively panicking about something. You heard my dad. Monotone is his thing. So, just... calm down."

"I'll try," Ventus nodded, accepting the criticism. "I'll be fine."

Sora smiled, hugging his brother tightly. "Tell him I said hi."

"You know I can't do that," Ventus murmured, but hugged his brother back.

"Well, then hug him for me, at least."

"Will do," Ventus ruffled Sora's hair before giving Demyx a high five, his eyes meeting Roxas'.

"So," Roxas said, nodding. "Good luck. I hope he's what you want him to be."

"He doesn't need to be anything in particular. He's my dad. I'll love him regardless," Ventus smiled brightly.

Roxas chuckled. He extended his hand, which Ventus took, shaking it lightly. "See ya soon."

"See you," Ventus nodded, giving one last hug to Sora before leaving the room. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he was utterly terrified. But he had also never been this excited before in his life.

He walked to the parking lot with shaky legs, instantly spotting his father among the many parents waiting. They were lucky Leon was coming an hour later. Otherwise this plan could have gotten ruined before it even started.

He took a breath, walking towards the blonde man with a small smile on his face. He was wearing a dark blue, sleeveless turtleneck and black jeans, a wristband on his right wrist. He was not as skinny as Ventus had imagined him. He had muscular arms, and his body indicated he must have worked out on a regular basis. He looked... Ventus didn't know how to describe it. He looked too young to be his dad, his face youthful despite the obviously tired eyes. He was taller than Ventus, but not as tall as Leon. He was just his dad. And Ventus wouldn't trade him for the world.

"Hey there," Cloud smiled, extending a hand, and wrapping it around his son as he came close enough. He hugged his son with one arm, but Ventus wrapped both of his around Cloud, and hugged him as tightly as possible. He couldn't believe this was happening. He only wished he could share this with Sora, too.

"Whoa," Cloud chuckled, hugging his son for a while before pulling back enough to look at his face. He felt that there was something different, but he couldn't quite place what it was. "Did you have a good week?"

"Yeah," Ventus smiled, trying his best to be as much like Roxas as humanly possible. "I had a lot of fun. Missed you, though."

"Really?" Cloud smiled, opening the passanger door for Ventus, placing his bag in the back seat. "I missed you too, kid." It was unlike Roxas to share his feelings like this, but maybe it was just because they had been apart for the first time.

"Good," Ventus smirked, sitting down. "So, uh, what did you do while I was away?" Was small talk something Roxas never did? Well, he couldn't resist.

As he looked out of the window of the car, he could see a familiar brunette standing in the distance, watching them curiously. Of course Sora couldn't have resisted. It was his first chance to get a glimpse of his other father. Ventus gave him a small smile, and watched as the boy disappeared back into the crowd.

"Nothing much. Worked," Cloud murmured, sitting down and starting the car. His covered wrist stung with the lie, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Roxas the truth. How could he? He hadn't told anyone, let alone his 16-year old son.

"Hmm. You're not working too much, are you?" Ventus asked, smiling brightly. "You look stressed."

Cloud raised his eyebrows. Maybe Roxas had gotten a very social roommate, and that roommate had rubbed off on him? "Uh... I work as much as is necessary. Don't you worry, kid," he said. "Guess who's coming home today?"

"Zack?" Ventus spoke before he could stop himself. Shit. Why was he such a bad liar?

Cloud looked at Ventus in surprise, and then turned back to the road ahead, preparing himself for an agonizing two hours, made only worse by his motion sickness. "Yeah. How did you know?"

"Oh, I texted him during the camp, and he told me. Ya know," Ventus said hurriedly, staring out of the window. He really needed to be more careful from now on.

Cloud seemed to accept this answer, and focused on driving once more. He asked Roxas about the week, and listened with a smile on his face as his son opened up about all the activities, and how much fun he had had. He didn't know what the camp had done to Roxas, but he seemed much happier now. And that was something Cloud took great joy in.

 

* * *

 

Demyx had left about ten minutes ago, his equally social and loud parents coming to pick him up. And now Sora and Roxas were left alone in their room, waiting for their father. Roxas felt sick. He was beginning to think that this was a bad idea more and more by the second. Just as he was about to tell Sora he was backing out, there was a knock on the door, and there he was.

Leon looked exactly like Sora and Ventus had vividly described him. Dark hair, gray eyes, a small smile playing across his lips. The scar on his face, though small, was something Roxas noticed right away. It suited him though, as weird as that sounded. He was wearing a leather jacket, a white t-shirt, and tight, black jeans. He was taller than Cloud, and perhaps even more muscular. He looked slightly intimidating, but... safe at the same time. Roxas could imagine himself finding comfort with his man and his stoic protectiveness.

"There you two are. Did you guys give me the wrong time? Almost everyone's gone already," Leon frowned, watching his sons, waiting for them to react somehow.

"Dad!" Sora rushed over to him, hugging him. Roxas could see that Leon did not like public displays of affection, but he hugged his son nonetheless, a smile on his face.

Roxas stood up in hesitation, walking over to him and throwing her arms around the man, hugging him. No matter what, this was his father, and he already loved him. He had been doubting the plan all this time, but now, he wanted to see it through until the end. They belonged together, all of them.

Leon smiled, ruffling Roxas' hair before pulling back. "Well? Did you two become mute or something?"

"Sorry, sorry," Sora smirked, grabbing the last of his things. "We're just tired. It's been a _reallyyy_ active week. And they never let us sleep any later than ten. Would you believe that?"

Leon chuckled, eyeing Ventus curiously. "You ok, kid?"

So Leon called his sons 'kid', too. Was it something he and Cloud had done together when they had been babies?

"Yeah, I'm just really tired," Roxas faked a yawned, remembering how Ventus had taken at least five naps during their week at the camp. Luckily for him, this was the right excuse to make, because Leon only rolled his eyes affectionately.

"What else is new? Come on, let's go home. Ellone's coming over. I have something I want to talk to you guys about."

Ellone was the aunt, Roxas reminded himself as he followed alongside Sora.

"Cool! Can we get pizza? _Puh-leeaassee_?" Sora asked, grabbing onto his father's arm and giving him his best imitation of puppy eyes. Roxas had a feeling, however, that something like puppy eyes probably didn't have too much of an effect on a guy like Leon. He probably decided on something, and stuck with his decision until the end.

"Sure, sure," Leon said, glancing at Ventus and smiling. "You ok with that?"

"Yeah, pizza's good," Roxas said hurriedly, trying his best to suppress all his normal, slightly sarcastic comments. Ventus was a sweetheart, so he had to be as well.

He locked eyes with the instructor, Axel, as he walked past the man, and to his surprise, the redhead winked at him, a smile on his face. That could only mean that he recognized that it was Roxas, not Ventus. According to his brother, he had never crossed paths with Axel. Was his cover that bad? Or had he made such an impression on Axel that the man recognized him despite his change in wardrobe, and company?

Roxas quickly turned away from the man, and followed Leon and Sora to the car, listening as Sora talked on and on about their week.

 

* * *

 

"Kiddos, I'm home!" Zack Fair shouted as he entered the home of his best friend, Cloud Strife, and his son, Roxas. He was in the military, so he didn't really have a proper place of residence for when he was on leave. He usually stayed with Cloud, or Tifa, or Vincent. Any of their friends, really.

The man had been feeing guilty about spilling Cloud's secret from the moment he had done it, so he had desperately begged for some time off his duties to do some damage control. First, he wanted to see how Roxas was doing. And then he'd tell Cloud the truth. He was ready for some anger from his best friend, though he wasn't looking forward to it.

He ran a hand through his black hair, just about ready to call again when Roxas ran over to him from the livingroom, smiling brightly.

But this wasn't Roxas. Zack could tell right away. If he hadn't known that the twins knew, then he wouldn't have suspected a thing. But that smile alone, it was enough to tell him that this boy was not his godson.

"Zack!" Ventus said, rushing over and giving his godfather a hug. Another thing Roxas didn't usually do. Shit, did that mean that Cloud knew already? Was he waiting around the corner, a knife in hand, ready to stab Zack for betraying his trust?

Zack pulled Ventus with him back out of the apartment and to the hallway, closing the door behind him. "Ventus?"

Ventus blinked thrice before he realized that Zack had called him by his real name. "You have **got** to be kidding me! How did you know?"

Zack groaned, burying his head in his hands. "I don't know, man! Maybe the hug? Maybe the goofy smile? Or maybe the fact that I knew you guys would pull something like this," he sighed, removing his hands to gaze at his best friend's son. The son of the woman he had once loved. There was so much Aerith in him, it made his heart hurt.

"You _are_ Ventus, aren't you?" he asked, his voice smaller now.

"Yes," Ventus didn't see any point in denying it. Not when they were going to tell Zack about the plan anyway. "But you can't tell Cloud, not yet!"

Zack groaned again, glancing at the door, and then back at Cloud. "Is he inside?"

"No, he went to get us some food from Tifa's restaurant. Some place called 6th Heaven or something."

" _7th_ Heaven," Zack corrected him quickly. "Well, shit. I can't believe this." He just stared for a moment. This was definitely Ventus. The boy had been barely three when Squall had taken him away, but Zack could see it, the tiny differences between him and Roxas. He knew that Cloud probably saw it, too. But unlike him, Cloud didn't know about the kids knowing. Why would he assume something like this had happened?

Ventus smiled shyly. "Sorry. We just... we wanted to meet our dads."

Zack couldn't blame the kid. He'd want the same thing. "Where's Sora?"

"He's with Roxas, who's with my dad. Leon. Squall," Ventus said quickly. "They're both safe, I promise. And this is just temporary, don't worry."

"I'm not worried, I'm just... annoyed at myself for telling you guys the truth," Zack murmured, running a hand through his hair once more.

"Why?! We wanted to know, and we had **a right** to know!"

"And Cloud had a right to be the one to tell you," Zack said hurriedly. "Alright, okay, hey," he grabbed the boy by his shoulders, eager to calm him down. "Everything's fine. We'll just tell him the truth. He won't be mad. I know he wants to meet you. Actually, properly meet you."

"Nope," Ventus said quickly, pulling away from the other's grasp. "We have a plan."

"And what might that be?" Zack could feel a headache coming on, and fast.

"We're going to spend some time with our dads, get to know them, and then find a way to bring the two of them together. Once they're in the same space, we'll tell them the truth. They'll fall back in love, and we'll be a family again."

Zack stared at Ventus for a long time. How could he tell the kid the truth? How could he tell him that Cloud had been absolutely beaten down, broken by his dear father? He still remembered how his best friend had been after the break-up. It had taken the man a long time to learn to live without Squall, and he wasn't even sure if he knew how to do it now. What would happen to them if they were reunited again?

"Life rarely works like that, Ventus."

Ventus knew he would say something like this, so he was not discouraged even in the slightest. "It will this time. Trust me. Trust _us_ ," he said. "We want you to help us. Roxas has Sora, but I don't have anyone helping me how to be Roxas. You can be the one to do that."

"I'm not gonna be a part of this, not any more than I already have been," Zack said quickly, about to head back into the apartment when Ventus grabbed onto his arm, physically clinging onto him.

"I'm begging you! I want to do this! We want to do this! They belong together, you know that! We all do."

Zack was slightly alarmed by the burst of emotion from the kid. He looked down at him, startled by how much he looked like Aerith when he had tears in his eyes. What would Aerith do in this situation?

He smiled to himself. He knew the answer instantly. Maybe it wasn't the right thing to do, but he was doing it.

"Fine," he said. "But for no longer than two weeks. That's what you have, Ven. After that, I'm spilling the beans whether you guys want me to, or not."

"That's fair," Ventus smiled brightly. "Thank you, thank you!" he moved closer and hugged the man, pulling away just in time as they heard the footsteps coming up the staircase.

Cloud appeared before them, carrying two bags of take-out. "Zack," he smiled, that reserved smile that was very much like the one Roxas had. "When did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago. Rox and I were just chatting," Zack smiled. He wasn't comfortable with the lying, but he agreed with Ventus about one thing. The two families were meant to be together. If not the men, then at least the children. And he was going to help them.

Cloud nodded, walking over and giving Zack a one-armed hug before moving to open the door. "You're staying with us?"

"If you don't mind," Zack said, glancing at Ventus. "It's only for like two weeks."

"We don't mind," Cloud said, letting his son and best friend inside, completely oblivious to the plan the other two had going on.

 

* * *

 

"It's so good to have you boys home," Ellone smiled gently. She had made some tea, and some snickerdoodle cookies as well to have as dessert after the pizza they had eaten. They were Sora's favorite, if for nothing else, then for their funny name. He was currently eating his third one, while Roxas was still biting into his second, sipping his tea.

He kept shifting his gaze between Ellone and Leon. This was his family. A family he had never known about. Apparently he even had a grandfather. Cloud's parents were both dead, so this would be his first experience with grandparents. He hoped he would get to meet the infamous Laguna before their time was up.

"It's good to be home," Sora said, his mouth full.

Roxas could tell that Leon was a little tense. He didn't know if this was normal, but he did remember the man saying that he had something he wanted to tell them. What could it be? Maybe he had found another boyfriend, or another girlfriend. None of them had considered that. Shit. What would they do then?

Ellone smiled kindly, watching both the kids before turning to her brother. "Leon? Did you have something you wanted to tell them?"

Roxas shifted in his seat. So this was why their aunt was here. For emotional support. What was Leon about to tell them?

"Uh, kids...," Leon murmured, staring at his cup of tea. Sometimes he spoke in such short sentences that Roxas wondered whether it was actually physically hard for the man to talk for a long time. He was about to find out.

"My office offered me a promotion," he started, and he was immediately interrupted by a big 'woo-hoo' from Sora.

"Congrats, dad!" he smirked.

Roxas smiled. "Yeah, congrats", he said. He wanted to hear the rest.

Leon smiled awkwardly, his eyes still at his tea. "It comes with a lot more money, which is good."

Roxas wanted to snort. Didn't the Leonharts already have enough money? What exactly did Leon even do? Sora had babbled something about him working in finances, but it was clear he didn't really know. Apparently he ran a sister company of his father's own company. It must have been nice, never being afraid of being fired. Meanwhile, his father sometimes had to work from six in the morning until midnight to make sure they got by.

"But?" Roxas spoke. He wanted the man to get to the point already.

"But it comes with a relocation," Leon said, his eyes meeting Ventus', and then turning to Sora. It was clear he felt that Sora was the more vulnerable out of the two. "To Radiant Garden."

Sora and Roxas shared a glance. Radiant Garden, where Ventus was right now. Radiant Garden, where he lived. Where _Cloud_ lived. Did Leon know this? Was he making a conscious decision to move closer to his ex? What did this mean for their plan?

"Uh, Radiant Garden?" Sora asked, biting down on his cookie.

"It's not very far away," Ellone interjected, smiling at the boys. "You can still see your friends whenever you want, really. It's not that different."

"Uh, I... I'll need to tell Terra and Aqua," Roxas said, straining to remember the friends' names. Luckily for him, it wasn't such a big deal if he acted like this. Ventus would have a positive reaction to just about anything. "But if it's what you want, dad, I can deal with it."

Leon smiled. "Thank you, Ven." He turned to Sora, his smile fading. "I'm sorry, I know you're gonna miss Riku and Kairi, but...."

"Well, uh...," Sora felt conflicted. On the one hand, this would make their plan a lot easier. On the other hand, he would indeed miss his best friends. Especially Riku. "Riku has a motorcycle. He and Kairi can come visit. There better be a spare room in the house!"

"There is," Leon said, visibly relieved by the reactions. "I already bought one. That's what I was doing during the week you were gone," he murmured, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry for not telling you earlier. I wanted to be sure before... you know."

"Fine," Roxas said, finishing his tea. "I'm gonna go find Terra and Aqua now. I'll be back before dinner," he kissed Ellone's cheek clumsily before getting up and walking out, not looking back once.

Sora sighed, but his mind was too preoccupied with thoughts of Riku and Kairi. "I should go, too."

"Of course," Leon said, looking a little worried. "But, you're not mad or anything, right?"

"Nah, it's... cool beans," Sora murmured, grabbing his phone. "I'll be back. Bye," he kissed Ellone's cheek as well before rushing off.

"You heard them. It's 'cool beans'," Ellone said a moment later, taking her brother's hand in hers.

 

* * *

 

_"Wait, we're moving? You've got to be kidding me. I need to call Aqua and Terra. Do you mind?" - Ventus_

_"No, I don't think it's gonna soil the plan, we were gonna tell our friends anyway. Sorry, I just thought you ought to know." - Roxas_

_"Thanks. I'll talk to you later." - Ventus_

Roxas put Ventus' phone away as he sat at the beach, staring at the waves. He had always wanted to go to the beach, but had only actually managed once or twice thanks to the fact that Radiant Garden was a huge city, and the beach was nowhere nearby. He and his childhood friend, Xion, had often talked about taking a trip to the beach together. They had lost touch by now, though.

So, Leon, Ventus and Sora were moving to Radiant Garden no matter what happened to their plan. Roxas silently felt good about this. He wanted this. He wanted their family together. But at the same time, he was terrified. If the plan didn't work, there would be no escape for either adult, though. They would be stuck in the same city, bitterly hating each other, and maybe resenting their children, too.

He sighed, burying his head in his hands.

"Looks like you and I are just destined to be together, aren't we?" he looked up at the sound of the voice. No way...

And true enough, Axel was standing in front of him, an amused grin on his face.

"Are you stalking me?" Roxas asked, raising his eyebrows. It was such a dramatic thing to assume, but the accusation had already left his mouth. Might as well own it.

"No," Axel smiled, sitting next to the younger boy. "But thank you for assuming the worst," he joked. "I live here. Can't come as that much of a surprise."

Roxas grunted, staring at the sea once more.

"So, remember when I told you that you can talk to me if you want to? That offer still stands," Axel said after a moment of silence, glancing at the blonde.

And so Roxas told him everything. He didn't care that he didn't know this guy. He had no one else to talk to here, other than Sora. And Sora was too... chipper. He was too on board the plan, he was too optimistic. Roxas just wanted someone who he could unwind to, someone who wouldn't judge him.

Axel was certainly the right person for that. He watched him, smiling slightly. And when Roxas was done, he let out a deep breath.

"Whoa! Quite a soap opera you've got going on," he said. "So, what are you gonna do if the plan doesn't work?"

"Feel really stupid, probably," Roxas murmured.

"How are you finding your dad to be so far? Your other dad, that is."

"Stoic. Quiet. Awkward."

"Kind of like you," Axel smirked, earning a shove from the other.

"Shut up," Roxas murmured, staring at the ocean once more. "I don't know if this is a shit idea or not. But we're doing it. We can't exactly turn back now."

"No," Axel agreed. "But hey, I think it's gonna work. Sounds too stupid not to. Isn't that the way it goes?"

Roxas shrugged. He felt good after talking to Axel, but it hadn't changed anything. He still thought that the plan was going to fail. He still worried about what would happen between Leon and Cloud. And surprisingly, he also worried about Ventus, about how he was doing, all alone.

Axel smiled, watching the blonde before turning back to the ocean, too, surprised to find that the sun was already setting. "Hey, Roxas?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you know why the sun sets red?" Axel smirked, meeting the blue eyes in his. As expected, there was a frown on the other's face.

"No," Roxas muttered. "But I bet you do, and you're gonna tell me."

"That's right," Axel winked. "Out of all the colors, red's the one that travels farthest," he said, pointing at his hair. "Kinda cool, right?"

Roxas snorted. "Is that why you colored your hair red?"

Axel gasped, a fake gasp, of course, but it made Roxas smile nonetheless. "I'm a natural redhead, I'll have you know!"

Roxas started to laugh. It started out small, but soon he was laughing to his heart's content, and Axel was laughing with him. It was fun, just being with someone, forgetting about his worries for a second. He was grateful that Axel was there with him.

 

* * *

 

"I can't believe you're moving," Kairi said, pouting visibly. She, Riku and Sora were sitting on the beach as well, not that far away from Roxas and Axel, though the two groups had not noticed each other. "I'm gonna miss you so much."

Sora nodded, staring at the water. He felt pretty miserable at the moment, though in his heart he knew it wasn't that bad. He'd still see his friends, and this way, his family would have a better chance.

Riku had said nothing. Not when Sora had told them about everything that had happened at camp, nor when he had told them he was moving. He was still too shocked to say anything. He only knew he was going to miss the brunette more than he'd ever missed anyone before.

"Riku?" Sora spoke, glancing at his friend. "You ok?"

Riku cleared his throat, moving to face his friend. He planted a smile on his face, one that wasn't quite genuine, but it was getting there. He knew that this move meant good things for Sora's family. And he was determined to be a supportive friend. "Yeah! I'm just shocked, and I'm definitely gonna miss you, too. But we'll come visit. Don't worry." He exchanged a look with Kairi, smiling. Though deep down he wanted to scream.

Sora smiled back, feeling reassured. "Thanks, you guys," he hugged both of them, earning a groan from Riku and a laugh from Kairi. He loved them so much.

"It's all gonna turn out okay. You just wait," Sora said, speaking mostly to himself as he said it. Maybe, if he said it enough, one day it would actually be true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about the speed in which I'm updating, I'm just having too much fun with this fic. Plus, I don't like to leave things unfinished for too long. I'm not exactly sure if too many people are even reading this, or liking this, but hopefully it's a yes to both! Thanks to everyone who is leaving kudos, comments, or even just clicking on the fic! It means a lot to me :)


	7. Chapter 7

Cloud had a day off, which was extremely rare. He would still go to work at 7th Heaven tonight, as he always did, but Cid had given him a day off when he had looked like ' _a fucking skinny, blonde corpse'_ , as had been expressed so eloquently by his employer. So, Cloud had gotten back on Fenrir and ridden the bike home only to find that Zack had taken Roxas out for ice cream. So he had a moment alone to just breathe.

He was in the bathroom, carefully removing the wristband he had kept safely in place to prevent anyone from seeing the bruise. Luckily, Sephiroth hadn't managed to break his wrist. It had come close, though. The bruise was still there, and an ugly color, too. There were slightly fingerprints visible along with the bruising, so there was no way Cloud could write the wound off as anything other than what it was. Especially not when his over-caring, overly curious best friend was around. So he placed the wristband back where it was, staring at himself in the mirror.

He felt so disappointed in himself. How had the first guy he had managed to go on a date with after all this time turned out to be a lunatic? It was just such bad luck.

He sighed, shaking his head. He should do something about this. Try to seek Sephiroth out, to explain that this behavior was not okay. That he wanted the man to make up for what he did. But he was never going to do that. He was too passive, too prone to avoiding conflict. It was something Squall had hated about him.

 

* * *

 

**(14 years ago)**

_"Would you fucking look at me?" Squall's voice made Cloud flinch, but he wouldn't. He wouldn't get into this now. He was too tired, too angry to begin with. When had it turned out like this?_

_It had been ten months since the adoption, and things were starting to go south, fast. Squall was always tired and cranky, and had a hard time balancing his part-time job, his studies, and his home life. Cloud was having the same problem, but on top of this, he was doing his best to always make sure the two avoided whatever fight that was brewing inside them. He would come home later, he would leave earlier, anything to avoid this. He could sense that Squall had been angry for a few weeks now. He was unsatisfied with how their life was. And so was Cloud. It shouldn't all be this hard. Hard, yes. Extremely hard, even. But not so unbelievably difficult that they had to struggle every minute of every single day. There were bills, exams, deadlines, screaming babies, sick babies, angry babies. There was resentment between the two men that had never existed before. And Cloud wanted it gone. He wanted it gone so badly. He knew it was ridiculous, but maybe, just maybe, if he ignored it, it would go away. Maybe Squall wouldn't be mad at him anymore._

_But if that happened, he wouldn't be the Squall Cloud knew and loved. Squall was not a fan of confrontation either, but he wasn't afraid of it. And he was more stubborn than anyone Cloud had ever met. If he wanted a fight, there would be a fight. All Cloud had done was prolong the inevitable._

_"Stop yelling at me," Cloud snapped, still avoiding the other's gaze. They were standing in the kitchen, Cloud staring at the dirty dishes he had been in the middle of washing. The kids were staying with Laguna, something that Squall had done most likely to be able to have this fight with Cloud. It was eleven at night, Cloud had a painful headache, and he had nowhere to run. He knew that if he walked out now, got on Fenrir, and drove off, it would be over between them, for good. And he didn't want that._

_"Stop avoiding me," Squall countered. He stood by the kitchen table, glaring at his boyfriend's back. "Look at me. Cloud."_

_"I have to wash these goddamn dishes," Cloud muttered. He still avoided the other's gaze when Squall walked right over to him, moving to the faucet and turning off the water._

_"They can wait. I can't."_

_Cloud sighed. He moved away from his boyfriend, wiping his hands on a dish towel. "What do you want to talk about?" He wanted to run so badly. He was so tired, and it all hurt so badly. Why did Squall need to do this now? He hadn't even seen the kids all day, and he was slightly pissed at how the other had ambushed him like this._

_"Us," Squall said, and that was when Cloud finally met the other's gaze. And he was truly terrified. Was Squall leaving him? Would he have it in him to protest? No. He'd let him go. And he'd regret it forever._

_"What **about** us?" Cloud asked, dropping his gaze once more. "I'm... I'm doing the best I can, Squall. I really am."_

_"I know that," the brunette's voice softened for a moment. "I know. I'm not talking about the kids, I know you're working really hard."_

_"So are you," Cloud whispered. "And you're studying, too. And you always pick up the kids from the daycare. You... you do more than I do."_

_"It's not a competition, Cloud," Squall stated the obvious. He walked over to his boyfriend, grabbing his chin in his hand, forcing the blonde to look at him. "You know I'm not worried about the kids. I'm worried about you and me."_

_"Why?" Cloud asked, his voice shaky. "I love you." It was the truth. Surely Squall knew that._

_"I love you, too," Squall murmured, though he sounded more distant than before as he said it. And that was when Cloud started to prepare, mentally. This man would leave him eventually. And he had to be ready. "But we can't go on like this. Barely talking to each other, let alone touching each other."_

_"We're both busy," Cloud said. "It's not like we're avoiding each other on purpose."_

_"Oh, really?" Squall dropped his hand, scoffing. "You have just felt the need to go out on a motorcycle ride every night for the past two weeks?"_

_Cloud bit his lip. He wished he wasn't like this. He didn't want to be. "I just don't want to fight. I'm so tired," he whispered._

_"So am I," Squall said. "But I'm still here. I'm still trying to be with you," he said. He had a point. Cloud was being distant. But it was just who he was._

_"I'm sorry," Cloud murmured. The words meant nothing, he knew it. "I'm just... every night, I come home exhausted. I don't have it in me to fight on top of all that."_

_"Maybe you're working too hard. Why don't we switch?" Squall asked. He knew the suggestion would not be heard._

_"We can't. Don't you remember what your father said? You have to study. And you can't work full-time," Cloud said, his voice dry. "Thanks, but I'll manage."_

_Squall grabbed his boyfriend by the shoulder, once again forcing blue eyes to meet grey ones. "We're supposed to be a team. You're not supposed to have to manage alone! All I want is some fucking proof that you still rely on me."_

_Cloud stared at Squall for a while. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't make Squall understand. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be here."_

_Squall seemed to find some reassurance in this, but the hard look in his eyes stayed. "Go to sleep. I'll do the dishes."_

_"No, I-," Cloud tried to protest, but Squall had already walked back to the dishes._

_"Go. I need some time to think."_

_Cloud watched his boyfriend, standing in the kitchen for a full minute before finally forcing himself to move towards the bedroom. He wanted to scream. He was convinced that this was it. Sooner or later, Squall would have enough, and he'd go._

 

* * *

 

Cloud groaned as he heard the doorbell ring. He put on a hoodie and walked to the door, expecting it to be someone like Tifa, or maybe Vincent. But no. As he opened the door, he was shocked to see none other than Sephiroth standing there. He was about to shut the door in the man's face when he quickly placed his hand on it, forcing it to stay open.

"I just want to talk," the man said, his voice cold. He had no remorse, Cloud knew that.

"I don't want to talk, Sephiroth," Cloud snapped, trying to push the door closed, but Sephiroth was surprisingly strong.

"I'm sorry about last week," Sephiroth said, completely ingoring Cloud's struggles, trying to meet his gaze. "I was a little drunk, and I acted too quickly."

"You throw around glasses at people's heads when you act too quickly? Good to know. Get the fuck out of my life," Cloud growled, trying once more to shove the door closed. And then he paused, a realization hitting him.

"I never told you where I live."

"It really wasn't that hard to find. How's your son?" Sephiroth asked, a small smile on his face. But the smile was anything but gentle.

"Do you want me to call the police?" Cloud snapped.

"I've done nothing wrong. I'm just standing here," Sephiroth leaned a little closer, making Cloud flinch back. "But just in case you get any funny ideas, you do realize that I'm the most powerful lawyer in the city? I have met every police officer there is, and I can guarantee you that all of them prefer me over you."

"You mean that you pay them to do whatever you want," Cloud snapped. "I'm not stupid, asshole."

"Really? You're acting pretty stupid right now," Sephiroth pointed out. "I asked you a question. How is your son?"

"If you so much as _think_ about getting near him, I will kill you," Cloud said simply, staring at the man without an inch of fear in his eyes. He would do anything to protect Roxas.

"You don't have to worry about that," Sephiroth smiled, pulling back once more. "If you give me a second chance, that is. I said I was sorry. Now's the part where you accept my apology."

"Go to hell," Cloud said, finally pushing the man far enough to be able to close the door, should he wish to do so. But Sephiroth spoke again:

"I'll give you a few days to reconsider. For the record, I actually agree with you. I know you're not stupid. And that is why I expect you to call me soon with the good news that you forgive me, and that you're willing to start over. I look forward to hearing from you," Sephiroth said calmly, giving the man one last, disturbing smile, and then disappearing down the staircase.

Cloud cursed under his breath, slamming the door shut. Okay, he was in big trouble now. Once again the man cursed his luck for picking the one powerful, rich psycopath in town.

What Cloud didn't know was that Ventus had heard everything. He had been coming up the staircase when Sephiroth had arrived, and had stayed hidden well enough to hear it all, and well enough to not be seen. And he was utterly terrified.

"Hey, man, what's with you? You look like you're about to vomit or something," Zack smirked as he came up the stairs a few minutes earlier. He had stayed down to call Tifa to tell her he was in town again.

"Uh...," Ventus didn't know what to do. He knew Cloud wouldn't want him to tell anyone. And he had a feeling that if Zack knew, he would probably charge into Sephiroth's office, beat up the man, and then maybe get sent to prison due to the older man's influences. He had to think before he acted. "Nothing. I'm just tired."

"Right, right," Zack chuckled. He followed Ventus inside the apartment, completely oblivious to how Cloud was doing his very best to fake his good mood. Ventus, too, was having a hard time smiling. He needed to talk to his brothers.

 

* * *

 

"You're gonna be sick if you eat it all," Leon warned Sora with an amused smile as he watched his sons. They were at an ice cream shop near the beach, and Sora had ordered a 'chocolate explosion', with four scoops of chocolate ice cream, along with plenty of whipped cream, and some chocolate chips. Roxas had gone for a sea salt ice cream, which was apparently the name of the flavor Axel had introduced to.

"Am not," Sora smirked, eating more and more, his face covered in chocolate. Roxas chuckled, shaking his head. He was actually in a good mood. He liked spending time with Leon, and even Sora was becoming less and less annoying. But he especially felt he'd found a kindred spirit in his father. He, too, preferred silence over useless chatter, and seemed to possess the same sort of dry humor and sass that Roxas had.

The boy's good mood was ruined in an instant, however, when he received a text from Ventus. He read it, trying his best to keep his facial expression neutral, when in truth, he wanted to scream.

_"Don't freak out, but I just found out that Cloud had a boyfriend (or an ex, I don't know) who hurt him, and is now basically threatening him, saying that if Cloud doesn't get back with him, he's gonna hurt you. I mean, me. Us. Fuck." - Ventus_

Roxas tried his best to keep Sora from seeing the text. If he saw it now, he would freak out, and Leon would see it, too. Maybe... maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing. Maybe Leon could help.

But... no. Why would Leon want to help? They had to stick with the plan. Right?

_"Please tell me you're joking. Please." - Roxas_

It was all Roxas could send back right now, under Leon's watchful eye.

"I'll be right back," Roxas said. "Terra's calling." He walked out of the ice cream shop, dialing his own number and calling Ventus.

"Yeah?"

"Is this some really sick joke?" Roxas asked, unable to stop his voice from shaking.

"No. I wish it was," Ventus whispered. "I have to be quiet, Zack and Cloud are in the other room."

"Does Zack know?"

"No. I overheard the creep threatening Cloud. Zack wasn't there."

"Don't tell him. He'll just get himself in trouble if you do," Roxas murmured, running a hand through his hair. "Is dad okay?"

Ventus thought about it. He couldn't really tell, he hadn't known Cloud for too long. "He fought the guy off, and he doesn't look hurt or anything. I think he's more worried about you than himself."

Roxas grunted. "We have to move about this a bit quicker than I thought."

"Why? Do you think dad being here is gonna make a difference?" Ventus asked. The romantic side of him imagined Leon coming to Cloud's rescue, fighting off the creepy guy, protecting his love. But he knew this was real life. And Cloud seemed perfectly capable of protecting himself.

"I don't know. But what else can we do?" Roxas snapped in frustration. "Look, just... see what happens. If he comes around again, then you tell Zack. But if he doesn't, then just wait until we get there. Okay?"

Ventus nodded, realizing how afraid Roxas must have felt. He felt it, too, but he hadn't known Cloud for as long. He imagined the same happening to Leon, and felt terrified. "Should I not have told you?"

"No, you did the right thing. I'll tell Sora tonight. Try to make him understand," Roxas whispered. "Just... be careful. All of you."

"Same to you," Ventus said. "I gotta go. See ya," he ended the call, sitting on the bathroom floor for a moment, trying to get himself together. He had to be strong now. But admittedly, this was something he had never expected to have to deal with when they'd been coming up with their plan.

 

* * *

 

 

"Why are you so down?" Ellone asked curiously. She and Leon had started the first of their packing. It would take a really long time to get everything together, but since Leon's new job would be starting in no more than two weeks, they had to hurry.

"I don't know," Leon whispered. "I guess I expected more resistance from the boys. I'm getting a little suspicious they might be plotting something behind my back."

"Like what?" Ellone laughed a bit. "A plot to make you guys stay here? I wouldn't put it past them, but you know, they could just be the accepting, kind children we both love and care for. Stranger things have happened," she placed a framed picture of Leon and the kids carefully in one of the countless boxes.

Leon smiled. "I know," he whispered. "But still, something feels off. Doesn't Ventus look a little..."

"Sad?" Ellone finished. "Maybe a little, but I wouldn't worry," she said. "Come on, Squall. When you don't have an actual worry on your mind, you come up with one. You stress too much."

"And you stress too little," Leon said. "And my name is Leon."

"No, it's not. I've seen your driver's licence. Before you actually go ahead and change your name to Leon Leonhart, I will call you by your name when we're alone."

Leon grunted, clearly not pleased by this.

"Leon Leonhart sounds idiotic. Why not change it to Loire?"

The prospect of taking their father's name and abandoning their dead mother's name hurt Leon too much to think about. "Don't think so."

Ellone hummed. "You're so stuck in your ways, aren't you? That's my Squall," she said playfully, ruffling his hair, causing the other to protest.

"You are just begging to be thrown out, aren't you?" Leon snorted, glaring at his older sister. "Call me whatever you want. But I'm not stuck in my ways. I'm moving, aren't I?"

"To the same place you ran from when you changed your name," Ellone pointed out gently. "You spent all this time trying to leave Cloud behind, and look how far you got."

Leon looked at his sister in disbelief. She wasn't one to push out these harsh truths. She was usually so soft and supportive. "What is your point?"

"My point is that, once you actually move to Radiant Garden, you better not keep avoiding him. It's time to fix this mess. And it _is_ a mess. it's exactly what I said 13 years ago. I begged you two to work it out."

"It didn't do us any good. It was done. Cloud knew it was done, too," Leon said.

"Cloud felt it was done because you did. You know how he is. He's a lot more insecure than you ever realized. You started pulling away, and he mistook that as you not loving him anymore!"

"So it's my fault? He's the one who pulled away first," Leon argued. He didn't want to have this conversation, at all.

Ellone groaned. "It's no one's fault. It's done, over. I'm just trying to give you advice for the future."

Leon stood up. "I don't need any advice. Just help packing," he moved over to the other side of the room, trying his best not to think about the blonde. But as always, it was useless. Ellone was right. She was always right. But maybe it was too late to fix it. 13 years was a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say about this one, other than that I apologize if my bias for Cloud as a character is coming through to the writing. It's not intentional, but I do love the guy, so what can you do?


	8. Chapter 8

**(13 years ago)**  
_It was snowing outside. It was one of the coldest days in January, but the cold outside was nothing compared to the temperature inside the apartment. Squall was packing his suitcase, refusing to meet the blonde's gaze as he did. Neither one of them knew what to say. There really was nothing to say, was there?_

_"Aren't you going to say anything?" Squall asked, finally breaking the silence. Cloud had come home from work to find the kids gone again, apparently with Tifa this time. She had called Cloud after Squall had brought the kids over, and advised that he should probably go home early that night. And when he had, he had found his boyfriend packing his bags. And he had not been the least bit surprised._

_Squall, on the other hand, was surprised by the blonde's passiveness. Why wasn't he saying anything? When he had heard the other come inside, he had expected... something. Anything. At least an inquiry as to what Squall was doing. But nothing. Just silence as Cloud stood in the doorway of their bedroom, and Squall did his best to ignore his shaky fingers as he packed up his life._

_"What is there to say?" the baritone voice spoke, the pain clear in his tone. Squall had been afraid of this. He had been afraid that Cloud would do nothing to stop him. But, then again, if he had wanted Cloud to stop him, why was he leaving?_

_Squall glanced at the blonde, flinching a bit at the sight in front of him. Cloud looked more tired than ever before, his eyes facing the floor. He was clearly doing his best to hold back tears. His hands were clenched in fists, and he looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here. The feeling was mutual._

_"I'm sorry," Squall said quietly. "I just can't do this anymore. This... this hasn't worked for a while," he gestured between them. "And I don't want to spend the rest of my life miserable."_

_Cloud nodded, still not looking up. "Fine."_

_The silence continued once more, only broken by Squall slamming the suitcase shut a few minutes later. "Fine?"_

_"Yes. Fine," Cloud finally met his eyes, and the tears were gone. This was the mask he was putting on, the facade he was holding up. Squall recognized it instantly. "If you want to leave, I'm not about to stop you. That's not me."_

_"No. That definitely isn't you," Squall muttered bitterly. Months of avoiding conflict, months of pretending like everything was okay, and this was what it had come to. Squall could barely recognize himself with how angry and tired he was every day. And what was worse, he could barely recognize the man he loved. Where was that Cloud? Had he driven him away, was this his fault?_

_"Just so you know," Cloud spoke as Squall walked past him. The blonde had moved back to staring at the floor. "You're the one running away now."_

_Squall stood there for a moment, and without warning, he dropped the suitcase onto the floor and grabbed Cloud by the shoulders, shaking him gently. "Then do something! Tell me that we can work this out! Just..." He paused. "No," he let go of the other, laughing quietly. "You won't even look at me, let alone give me a reason to stay."_

_"I am not going to force you to stay, Squall," Cloud said, with more force in his voice this time. "You can blame me all you want. It probably is my fault that it had to come to this. But I will not beg for you to stay!"_

_"And why not?" Squall raised his eyebrows. "Why the hell not?" He didn't know why he was so desperate right now. Maybe a part of him hadn't actually expected to be able to go through with this. Maybe a part of him was screaming that this was all a mistake. Maybe it was more than just a part of him._

_"Because I love you," Cloud said simply, staring at the brunette. "And I want you to be happy. I clearly don't make you happy," he pushed away from the other, as far away as he could without going out of earshot. "So go."_

_Squall stared at the other, wanting to deny it. He wanted to say that Cloud did make him happy. That he loved him, too. But if that were true, would he be this miserable? No. There had to be something wrong with them. A better couple could have made this work. They didn't belong together. And Squall was tired of fighting, and tired of fighting for Cloud. It had been over for a long time._

_Squall picked up his suitcase, watching the other for a moment before walking out of the apartment without a look back. And it was not until he arrived at his father's apartment that he broke down in tears._

 

* * *

 

Leon was in the attic, packing through things for the move, trying his best to avoid Ellone at present. He was not overly thrilled by her earlier accusations, and wanted to stay away for a while. He was looking through the drawers of an old desk he had brought to the attic a while ago, and frowned as he noticed a small, black box in one of them.

"Shit," he murmured, taking the box in his hand. He had almost forgotten about this. _Almost._ He opened the box, frowning at the sight of the ring. How had he gone from almost proposing to Cloud to leaving him in a span of a few months? No matter how much he tried to think about their break-up, it made no more sense to him now than it had then.

His main reason for walking away had been frustration. He had been frustrated with Cloud's attitude, Cloud's passive behavior, and the way Cloud was blatantly trying to avoid their problems. He had been frustrated that their life was not going the way he had imagined, and yes, a part of him had been frustrated that he had to work this hard and do this much at such a young age. But he had been happy to do it, and he still was. He never, ever regretted the children. Nor would he ever.

Aside from the frustration, there had also been uncertainty and fear. Cloud had been Leon's first relationship. They had started dating when they were 16, and everything had been almost too perfect throughout the years. And then everything changed so suddenly. Leon had been convinced that there had to be something wrong with them as a couple. If they worked better together, if he was different - if Cloud was different - things would also be different. They would be better. He had been so afraid of screwing up the kids with a bad relationship, and that was the last thing he could ever have wanted. And he had been afraid that Cloud would leave him first. It was childish, it was obnoxious, and he hated himself for it. But he had been only 19, unsure of himself and of the world around him, and he hadn't seen another way out. And it wasn't like Cloud had done particularly much to stop him from going. Maybe Ellone had been right, though. Maybe Cloud had sensed his hesitations, and had started to pull away himself because he was afraid of the same pain that Leon was.

"What a fucking idiot I was," he whispered. He closed the box and placed it back where it was. He really had wanted to marry Cloud. He had wanted to make it official. He had wanted them to be a real family. Not that they needed to be married for that, but... it wouldn't have hurt. Maybe, if he had proposed earlier, Cloud wouldn't have started to pull away. And then maybe...

There was no point in wondering any of that, he knew that. But it hurt. And it would keep hurting until he confronted Cloud and actually resolved these issues. He had been hoping for the pain to go away magically for too long. It wasn't going to go away. Not unless he did something to fix it.

 

* * *

 

"Well, shit, blondie. That's not good. What are you gonna do about it?" Roxas had just finished telling Axel about everything that was happening with his family, and he regretted it, slightly. What could the redhead do to help? And why would he help in the first place? They had hung out a few times, but they were still pretty much strangers.

They sat on the beach once again, staring at the sunset. Roxas felt restless. He wanted to go home and watch over his father himself. It wasn't that he didn't trust Ventus. He did. But he highly doubted that Ventus could ever hurt a fly, let alone some creepy asshole.

"I have no clue," Roxas said honestly. "I guess we just wait it out. We still wanna go ahead with the plan."

"Sure, but it's not like the plan's gonna change anything," Axel shrugged. "Won't your other dad be pissed when he sees your favorite dad again for the first time, and he's dating some creepy lawyer?"

Roxas frowned. It was a good point. "Cloud's not my favorite dad. I can't have a favorite."

"I'm pretty sure you can have a favorite parent," Axel said lazily. "But that wasn't my point, was it?"

"We'll figure it out. We have to get to Radiant Garden first," Roxas said quickly.

"When is this big move happening, again?" Axel asked, glancing at the younger boy. He was actually going to miss him once he was gone.

"In less than a week. Depends on how fast we pack. Sora's a bit of a lazy bum," Roxas couldn't help but smile a bit as he said that. He was getting used to his new brother, and found that he actually liked him a lot.

Axel nodded. "Well, hey, I'll miss ya. Will you come and visit?" Axel batted his eyelashes in an attempt to be charming, but that just made Roxas want to punch him.

"Maybe. Though, shouldn't you find friends your own age?" Roxas couldn't help but be a little sassy. Axel made it so easy.

"Maybe I have friends my own age, but I prefer hanging with you," Axel pointed out, smiling. The smile was genuine, as it usually was when it came to Roxas.

"You sound like a pedophile."

"Jeez," Axel chuckled lightly. "You don't hold back, do ya?"

"Not when it comes to my friends," Roxas said simply. smiling at the other. He did consider Axel his friend, as surprised as he was to discover it.

"So, we _are_ friends? Good," Axel seemed satisfied with this. The two sat there for a while, watching the sunset.

 

* * *

 

"So, uh, you think that your dad is going to step in and do something about this guy who's been bothering your other dad?" Riku asked. He and Sora were at an ice cream shop, where Sora had once again ordered the chocolate explosion, Riku sticking to good old vanilla. Sora had just spent the previous past hour explaining the latest updates to Riku, going on and on about how everything would be resolved once his parents were back together.

"Uh-huh," Sora said with a smile. "You know how strong my dad is. He could take on _anyone_."

Riku blinked. Sometimes he worried about how positive and optimistic his best friend was. And he hated how he always needed to be the one to settle the other down, and thus ruin his fun. "But your other dad's pretty strong too, right?"

"Yep, look!" Sora showed Riku a picture of Cloud for about the hundreth time. Riku looked at it politely, nodding.

"So, if he can't take on the creep, what makes you think that Leon can? And I think it's less about physical strength and more about the fact that that guy's basically blackmailing Cloud. Right?"

Sora's face fell, and he turned back to his ice cream, staying silent for a moment. "I know it's stupid, but what else can I do? Parents are supposed to fix things, right? Isn't that... the way it goes?"

Riku knew that Sora saw Leon as this unbreakable, untouchable force of strength and protectiveness. He knew that Sora truly felt that nothing and no one could defeat his father. So he understood this attitude. But it was seriously misguided in this case.

"I guess all we can do is wait and see."

Sora smiled a little. "You're gonna come and visit me all the time, right, Riku?"

"All the time," the silver-haired boy agreed, turning back to his ice cream. He would do anything to be able to see Sora again, even if it meant torturously long motorcycle rides back and forth.

 

* * *

 

 Ventus was sitting in Roxas' room, reading a book when he heard the front door open and shut. He knew it was Cloud. Zack had gone to help Tifa open the bar for the night. He and Cloud would be joining in soon.

"Have a good run?" Ventus poked his head through the doorway, watching his father. The blonde was sweaty and out of breath, and the boy couldn't really blame him. He had gone on a 2-hour run. It seemed like Cloud used exercise to distract himself from his problems. For Ventus, that distraction was usually taking a good, long nap. Each to their own.

"Yeah," Cloud chuckled, taking off his headphones. "Give me a minute, I'll take a shower and get changed, then we can go."

Ventus nodded, but he did not fail to notice how his father placed the door chain on the lock of the front door. Was he ever going to tell Ventus about the threat looming over them? Knowing Cloud, probably not. And he knew he was not supposed to ask, either. But he desperately wanted to. He wanted his father to be able to talk to him. He wanted to help. It was in his nature.

He waited in his room until he heard the bathroom door open about 15 minutes later, indicating that his father was out. He was wearing a black t-shirt and some jeans, and to Ventus' good luck, he had forgotten to cover his wrist with the wristband.

The boy seized the opportunity immediately, grabbing onto his father's wrist gently. "What the hell is that?!" of course he knew what it was, but he wanted to give his father a chance to come clean on his own.

"Oh, that...," it would have been amusing for Ventus to watch his father go completely pale, had it not been so sad at the same time. "Uh, I just fell. Don't worry about it, Rox."

Ventus glared up at his father. "I'm not stupid. Someone did this to you."

Cloud's eyes went wide, and for the first time, Ventus heard his father stammer. He was usually so calm and collected, this was slightly unsettling for the younger blonde. "No, no, it's... **No**."

"No?" Ventus sighed. "Dad, I know. I was in the hallway a few days ago. I heard that assface threaten you."

"What?" Cloud whispered. He stared at his son in shock for a moment before placing his hand over his mouth, trying his hardest to come up with the right thing to say. How in the hell could he explain this in a way his son would understand?

"It's okay, dad, don't worry. I'm not like scarred for life or anything. I get that people hurt each other. All that matters now is making sure he doesn't hurt you anymore," Ventus explained, smiling calmly.

Cloud sighed. He didn't know what to say. "Shit. I'm so sorry, Roxas. I never wanted you to find out."

"I don't get why. You don't have to face everything alone," Ventus said. He knew he was probably taking a different approach to this than Roxas would, but at that moment he didn't care. His father was in pain, and he just wanted to help.

Cloud closed his eyes. "I messed up really badly. This guy, we went on a few dates, and I thought he was fine, and then I just...," he shrugged. "I told him I wasn't interested. I couldn't... I just wasn't ready," he didn't elaborate on that, and Ventus didn't ask. He knew what Cloud meant by not being ready. "And he just got so pissed. I guess more pissed than I thought."

Ventus nodded. "Well, we'll figure it out. I don't want you to worry about me, though," he smiled. He touched his father's wrist once more as gently as he could before moving over to grab a dark blue sweater of Cloud's, handing it to him. "And you don't have to hide things from me, either."

Cloud smiled, touching his son's face. "How did you get so smart? Couldn't have been from me."

"School, I guess," Ventus smirked. He hugged Cloud tight before pulling away. "Put that on and let's go help Aunt Tifa, I bet she's making Zack work his ass off."

"Language," Cloud murmured, but it was a half-assed attempt at scolding. He was too happy, and too proud of his son. And to his surprise, in that moment it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He had never realized how good it would feel to share his burdens with someone. Even if that someone was his son, who he was supposed to protect, not the other way around.

 

* * *

 

Tifa Lockhart was kind, caring and intelligent, Ventus had decided. And on top of that, she was utterly _terrifying_ when she wanted to be. Roxas had told Ventus that Tifa was amazing at kickboxing, and based on the way she was casually moving chairs and tables around the bar, she was mighty strong in other aspects, too.

He tried his best not to stare as he and his father entered. After all, Roxas had known Tifa all his life.

"There you two are!" The woman smiled, rushing over to them and giving Ventus a kiss on the cheek, and hugging Cloud hurriedly. "Zack is being completely useless. Would you help?"

"I am not being useless. I'm just on vacation, Tifa! These are supposed to be the two weeks when I _don't_ have to act like a super soldier," Zack whined. He was sitting on a bar stool, clearly having stopped midway while moving a particularly large table from one side of the bar to the other.

Cloud chuckled, walking over to the table and lifting it, carrying it over to its destination with only mild difficulty.

"You're making me look bad, Spike," Zack called after him, earning a laugh from his friend.

"So, Roxas, what's new with you? Did you like the camp?" Tifa smiled kindly. She led Ventus to one of the tables that had already been deemed worthy to be in its currently location. She waited for an answer while going around the bar, pouring some soda for the boy, and handing the glass to him.

"Oh, yes, it was awesome. I had the best time ever," Ventus said quickly, taking a sip of the soda. "Thanks for suggesting it." Tifa had been the one to suggest it, right?

"No problem," Tifa winked before turning to Cloud, who was busy moving around the bar, putting everything in its place. "Your dad doing ok?"

Ventus hesitated. He wanted to tell both Tifa and Zack about what was going on, but he wouldn't. "Yeah. He's just tired."

Tifa nodded. "Uh-huh."

After about a half an hour of working, everything was finally ready for opening time, which would come around in an hour.

Ventus was debating on whether to ask about it, but as he sat next to Zack at one of the tables, with Tifa and Cloud sitting a bit further away, discussing that week's shifts, he couldn't help it anymore. He had gotten one adult to open up. He had to try with the other, too.

"Zack? Could you tell me something about Aerith?"

That made all three adults turn to look at him with expressions of shock and confusion on their faces. And it wasn't like Ventus blamed them. It was a surprising thing to ask.

"What?" Zack whispered, his eyes firmly planted on Ventus. He knew why the boy was asking. Because he had promised in his email that they'd talk about Aerith. But not here, not now. Not like _this_.

Cloud, too, looked petrified. Not only because the memory hurt him, but also because the subject of Aerith was so closely tied to the subject of Squall.

"Please. Anything, really," Ventus whispered. "She was my birth mom. I am a little curious. And I know you dated her, so..."

Cloud and Zack locked eyes for a moment, and when the blonde gave a short nod, the black-haired one spoke:

"She and I dated in high school. She was... wonderful. Lovely. Perfect. She smiled all the time, loved flowers, and wore this pink bow in her hair. She was..."

"An angel," Tifa said, smiling at the memory of her good friend, who had died far, far too soon. "And she loved you very much, Roxas. She really did."

Cloud nodded, but didn't quite manage to meet his son's eyes. "I was with her when she... died. She told me to take care of you. In her final moments, all she thought about was you."

Ventus knew that "you" really meant him, Roxas and Sora. But he didn't care. The thought alone made tears form in the boy's eyes. He quickly blinked them away, clearing his throat. "I wish I could have known her."

"We wish that, too," Zack whispered. "But she's always watching over you. Making sure we don't entirely screw up in raising you," he joked slightly, but Ventus could see that deep down, he was hurting. They were all hurting. As Ventus watched the three, he could tell that once, the four had been a tight group. Cloud, Zack, Aerith and Tifa. Perhaps even Squall. And now, the group was scattered: Aerith was dead, Squall was miles away, and Zack had dedicated his life to serving the army. How different everything would have been, had Aerith not died. It was crazy how much the absence of a person could change the lives of so many.

"Thanks," Ventus whispered. "It means a lot."

Zack smiled gently, ruffling the blonde's hair. "Even if she and I never ended up together, I did love her. She was my first love."

Ventus smiled a bit. He wanted to ask why it hadn't worked out. But he knew he shouldn't. He didn't want to torture Zack with memories of the past. So he just nodded, and a silence fell into the room.

"I, uh..." Cloud spoke, biting his lip, debating on whether to say it. But he felt that, if he wasn't going to say it now, he never would. "When Zack and Aerith were together, I had someone, too."

Tifa and Zack looked at the man in surprise, clearly not expecting him to open up like this. "Cloud, you don't have to..."

Cloud silenced Tifa with a gentle hand on hers, shaking his head. "I know I don't have to. I _want_ to," he turned to his son, smiling. "I had someone I loved very much, too. I thought you should know. I don't know why. Just... thought you should."

Ventus wasn't surprised Cloud wasn't telling the whole story. He wished that he would, but then again, Sora and Roxas deserved to hear it, too. Not just him. He could feel Zack shifting restlessly next to him, the lie and the secrets obviously bothering him. But the boy was focused entirely on his father, and the truth he was trying to get out.

"Who was this... someone?" Ventus asked.

"His name was Squall," Cloud smiled gently at the memory. For the first time in a long time, he allowed himself to think about the good times. The times Squall had made him laugh, the times he had made Cloud feel protected and loved. Those were the times he should focus on. There was no point in staying in the past, regretting things he could never change. Might as well enjoy the good memories.

"That's a bit of a stupid name," Ventus couldn't help it. It was definitely something Roxas would say.

Tifa chuckled, as did Zack. Cloud, on the other hand, smiled brightly at his son. "Well, speaking as the son of a man named 'Cloud', I don't think you have a right to make a comment like that."

"Fair point," Ventus chuckled. "Squall and Cloud. It... fits." It did. It fit perfectly. So why weren't they together?

"It did. For a time," Cloud murmured. Ventus could see from his face that he was done talking. But he gave his son one last time. "Like I said. Just thought you should know."

"Thanks, dad," Ventus returned the smile. "Thanks, Zack. Tifa," he glanced between the other two. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You won't ever have to find out," Zack promised, and at that moment, Ventus truly hoped that that would be the case. He hoped that these three would still want to be in his life when it was all said and done, and the plot would be over. He hoped it, but a part of him was afraid. He didn't want to lose any more people, ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad I finally got to introduce Tifa. I have been meaning to do that since chapter 1, and finally she's here.


	9. Chapter 9

**(13 years ago)**

_It was Cloud's turn to be packing his bags. The kids were all asleep, it was midnight, and he and Squall were back in the bedroom, only this time, it didn't belong to Squall anymore. And soon it would belong to no one._

_"You're being ridiculous," Squall snapped. "I am not telling you to leave this apartment. It's a perfectly good place."_

_"That your father paid for," Cloud muttered. He refused to look at his ex-boyfriend. "I already found another apartment. In the cheaper part of town. It'll suit us fine."_

_Squall rolled his eyes. They had been arguing about this for a while, and Ellone and Laguna had even joined in on the argument. Cloud was being stubborn. Laguna would be perfectly fine with helping Cloud, since it would also be helping his grandchildren. But no. The blonde refused every single offer. And Squall couldn't really blame him. He'd have done the same._

_"Whatever," he muttered. "And who is 'us', anyway? Shouldn't we talk about the kids?" He was slightly afraid of this topic. He was afraid that Cloud would deny him access to the children. They were both legal guardians of the kids, but Aerith had only appointed the blonde as their guardian. Maybe, if Cloud decided to take him to court, the jury would only care about that._

_Cloud hesitated, finally stopping with his packing and turning to look at the man he still loved, despite everything. "I'm not going to stop you from seeing them, if that's what you're worried about. You're their father as much as I am."_

_Squall resisted the urge to breathe out a sigh of relief. Of course, he shouldn't have been surprised. Cloud was a good person._

_"Thank you." The brunette hesitated before continuing: "I've been thinking about it, and I don't think it's a good idea for us to just have them switch back and forth."_

_Cloud didn't ask why. He knew why. It would be too painful for them to see each other, even briefly. "Agreed."_

_"So, do we split them up?" Squall asked, causing Cloud to look back at the man. It seemed like an extreme option, but at that moment, it was the only one they could think of. And if they did want to separate the kids, now would be the time, now when they still didn't really remember much about what was going on around them._

_"I guess," the blonde finally agreed, looking away. "There's three of them."_

_Squall didn't want to say it, but he had to point it out. It was the elephant in the room. "If you're not going to take any money from me, or from my dad, you're not going to have the money to support two babies."_

_Cloud snorted. At that moment, he hated Squall. "How convenient for you."_

_"It's the truth," Squall didn't care what Cloud thought about him. He was telling the truth, and the blonde knew it, too._

_"I can't just... choose," Cloud whispered. Squall understood perfectly. He wouldn't ever want to be forced to choose between the three children, either._

_"I'll choose." Squall didn't know how, but he would be the one to make the decision. He felt guilty for taking two of the children away from Cloud. He wanted to take the pain of choosing away too, at least._

_Cloud met the other's eyes, hurt and anger clear in them. "Fine. Why don't you think about it, and tomorrow, you'll come pick them up?" He was doing his best to hold himself together, even though every part of him wanted to scream in agony._

_"Fine," Squall agreed, looking at the other. It wasn't too late to remedy it. Nothing had been done yet that could not be undone. All he had to do was say something. Anything, really..._

_Before he could speak his mind, Cloud spoke again:_

_"Now get out." The blonde looked at him with heartbreak in his eyes before turning around. That would be the last time Cloud ever met the other's gaze. And Squall had no choice but to walk away._

 

* * *

 

Leon stared at the coffee mug in his hands. Why had he allowed himself to remember that moment? He could still feel the pain he had felt in that moment. He had been a cold bastard, and Cloud had responded in kind. He still couldn't believe they had actually made the decision to split their children up forever.

Sometimes Leon allowed himself to wonder what would have happened, had he not chosen Roxas as the child to go with Cloud. It had been a random decision, really. He loved all his sons equally. In the end, he had simply had to choose. And something about those sad eyes of Roxas', about that vulnerability of his, reminded him of Cloud. So he had sent the boy away. And he had never seen either blonde again. Until now. Seeing Cloud again had been a breath of fresh air, and Leon was not about to waste it. He couldn't.

He sighed. He looked around the house, completely filled with packed boxes. They would be moving in three days, and almost everything was ready. He felt sick, though. Sick with how frightened he was about the future. In the end, he would have to tell his children the truth about what he and Cloud had done. Would they hate him? They would have every right to do so. And what about Cloud? Did he hate him? He most likely did. He had, that moment they had parted.

" _Daaadd_ ," he was brought back from his thoughts when Sora and Ventus walked into the kitchen, looking rather hesitant. So, they had something they wanted to confess, or ask, and they were a bit afraid. That was something Leon was used to. He chuckled, gesturing for the boys to sit down at the table. Sora did, and after a moment of hesitation, so did Ventus. The boy really had become more solemn after the camp. Leon would have to observe and see if it was something he had to worry about.

"Can we ask you something?" Sora asked, taking the lead in the conversation as always.

"Yes," Leon murmured, rubbing his forehead. "What is it, boys?"

"We were just curious," the blonde spoke, looking at their father with a surprising curiosity. Leon had noticed that, during these days since the camp. It was like Ventus was trying to memorize how he looked, as if he didn't already know well enough. "Why aren't you dating?"

Leon almost choked on his coffee. Just where the hell was this coming from? "What?!"

"We know you dated Rinoa, but that didn't work out," Sora said quickly. "We were just wondering, you know, if... if there was a reason why you haven't dated since. Or before."

Leon sighed. He did not like this conversation one bit. "That's really none of your business, boys."

"It _is_ ," Roxas argued. "You're our father, and you're our rolemodel when it comes to our love lives. Do you want us to be incapable of love?" The two boys stared at him with puppy eyes, making the adult chuckle.

"Fine," he smiled. "I just haven't found the right person. That's all. Not everyone's so lucky."

The blonde seemed a bit angry at this, something Leon didn't entirely understand. "So, you've never had anyone you've loved? Seriously?"

Leon opened his mouth to deny it. He wanted to say no. It was easy to say no. But... he didn't want to lie about this. Not anymore.

"There was someone, once."

Sora blinked. The boys had not been expecting this. They had mainly brought the topic up just to make sure that Leon didn't have a secret boyfriend, or girlfriend, that would come as a surprise when he was reunited with Cloud. "Really? Who?"

"It's not important. I just... I was in love. But it didn't work out."

"If you were in love, why didn't it work out?" Roxas asked, staring at his father intensely. He was daring Leon to say something insulting about Cloud.

"I was afraid. And I let him go," Leon whispered. He stared at his cup. There was no point in denying it.

" _Him_?" Sora asked. He was surprised their father was actually admitting it for the first time.

"Hmm... yeah," Leon murmured. "When I left him, I told everyone to stop calling me Squall, and became Leon instead. As if that would take the pain away."

Roxas and Sora shared a look. They had not been expecting this, even in the slightest. "So, uh... have you heard from him since?"

"No," Leon looked up. "I hope he's doing well, though. He deserves to be happy."

Roxas stood up. "Sometimes just hoping isn't good enough," he said, walking all the way up to Ventus' room, ignoring Sora's beckons for him to come back.

The boy sat on the bed, staring at his hands angrily. So, Leon, or Squall, or whoever the man wanted to be, had been the one to leave Cloud. Roxas had expected as much, but it hurt. It made him angry.

"What the heck was that?!" Sora asked as soon as he entered the other's room, closing the door behind him. "Dad was opening up to us, and you just rejected him! That was rude!"

"He _left_ my dad, Sora! Excuse me if I don't want to comfort him, tell him it's all gonna be okay," Roxas snapped angrily.

" _He's_ your dad too. And Cloud's my dad as well. Stop acting like we're on different teams or something! Like I'm 'team Leon' and you're 'team Cloud' or something."

"Don't you mean 'team Squall'?" Roxas muttered under his breath.

"Whatever! Stop being like that! We both want the same thing, for our families to be together!" Sora groaned, grabbing his brother by the shoulder. "I know you're angry Leon left Cloud. I'm angry, too."

"Are you? You don't look it."

"You read the email Zack sent. It wasn't like the break-up was one-sided," Sora said, trying to be as gentle as possible despite the fact that he was feeling an overwhelming protectiveness towards Leon. "They both hurt each other."

"Yes, they did," Roxas agreed. "But if Leon was the one who left, what makes you think that he even wants dad back? He's so...," he paused. "Cold."

"He is not cold! You're just being biased," Sora groaned. "He's every bit as warm and loving as Cloud is. You're being so unfair."

"And you're being naive if you think everything's just gonna work itself out magically."

"You agreed to the plan, too," Sora whispered, moving to the other side of the room. He felt tired, and he missed Ventus. He would agree with him.

"Yes. But I'm starting to become even more doubtful that it's ever going to work. Leon doesn't love Cloud. Maybe Squall did, but _Leon_ doesn't," Roxas said slowly, trying to make Sora see it.

"That's not true! You heard him down there! That's probably the most mushy he's ever been, **ever**!" Sora said, desperation clear in his voice. "Please, Roxas, don't give up on me now. We can make this work. I know Leon regrets walking out on Cloud. I know he does."

"How do you _know_ that he does?" Roxas raised his eyebrows. He really couldn't see it. But he wanted to.

"Other than the fact that he literally changed his name afterwards just to try to forget about Cloud?" Sora snorted. "Well, how about the fact that he's barely dated since? In 13 years!"

Roxas opened his mouth to argue, but Sora pressed his palm against the other's mouth, preventing him from voicing his thoughts. "Just give him a chance. I know that they would be so much happier together than they are apart."

Roxas slowly removed Sora's hand from his face, but he was no longer angry. He wasn't really giving up on the plan. He was just angry, and frustrated with Leon. But silently, he still agreed with the other. "Whatever."

Sora chocked back a snort, earning a glare from the other. "What?"

"That's what dad says. Pretty often, actually," Sora smirked. And all Roxas could do was sigh.

 

* * *

 

Cloud was taking a break from a long line of deliveries, leaning against Fenrir as he stood outside the law firm, waiting. He was tired, but today wasn't as bad as the other days had been. He felt better after opening up to Roxas. Perhaps he should have done so earlier.

"I didn't expect to hear from you so soon," he resisted the urge to groan as he heard Sephiroth's voice. Despite his touching moment with Roxas, he couldn't let the older man hurt his son. And he knew enough about the world to know that a man like Sephiroth would do whatever it took to get what he wanted.

"Trust me, if it were up to me, you'd never be hearing from me," Cloud said dryly, staring the other man in the eye, keeping his motorcycle between them. Luckily for him, Sephiroth did not try to break the distance.

"I think that attitude is exactly why I find you so fascinating, you know," Sephiroth smiled, and Cloud could tell the smile was genuine. This guy had a serious problem.

"You want someone who tells you what an ass you are? I'm pretty sure _anyone_ would be willing to do that," Cloud said. He wasn't afraid of Sephiroth. Not for himself, anyway.

"Actually, you're the only one who's ever been stupid enough to go against me. Stupid, certainly. But brave, too."

"I give you another chance, you leave my son and my friends alone," Cloud interrupted the other. He was not interested in hearing his false compliments. "That's the deal."

"Of course. I never go back on my deals," Sephiroth smiled. "I knew you would come to your senses."

Cloud said nothing, simply got back on his motorcycle, eager to leave as soon as possible. He flinched slightly as he felt Sephiroth grab his wounded wrist, squeezing lightly.

"I trust you won't make trouble again."

Cloud stared at the man for a second before pulling his hand away, turning on the bike and driving off as fast as possible. He knew he had made a mistake, but it would have been a bigger mistake to risk Roxas' life. That was something he would never be willing to do.

 

* * *

 

"So, if Squall and the boys really are moving back in a few days, we need to perfect the plan," Zack said. He and Ventus were alone in the apartment, as Cloud was once again at work.

"Yeah," Ventus nodded eagerly. "What if we trick them and make them both go to a really romantic restaurant, and then lock the doors until they make up?"

Zack smiled slightly. "Uh... yeah, we could do that. Or, you know... not. I don't know if you know this, but your parents' first date didn't exactly go that well."

"Really?" Ventus chuckled. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you about it some other time," Zack smirked. "Needless to say, romantic candlelit dinners are not something your dads care about. But you're right about us having to lock them inside until they make up. Or until they talk to each other, at least. They're both so damn stubborn."

"I wonder how they ever even got together with how private they both are," Ventus chuckled. "Is that also a story you can share with me sometime?"

"Sure. Or better yet, have them tell you, when they're back together," Zack winked. He was fully on board the plan now, he had been since the moment he heard Cloud talk about Squall at 7th Heaven. He knew his best friend well enough to know he was still in love.

"Sounds good to me," Ventus smiled. He couldn't wait until their family was back togetehr. Everything would be alright then.

"Hey! What if we trick them both into 7th Heaven? We can do it this Saturday, Tifa's closing early because she has to go visit her folks Sunday morning. So, we'll have Cloud close up, and then somehow lure Squall into the bar. Boom."

"How do we do that?"

"I don't know, but we will," Zack smirked in a way that made the blonde think of Sora. These two would get along perfectly.

"I trust you. But if the plan fails, we're totally blaming you," Ventus chuckled, causing the other to laugh.

"You drive a hard bargain. But alright. I suppose it is my fault to begin with. I'm the one who told you guys," Zack pointed out, looking guilty for a moment.

"We forced you. Don't worry about it. And we're grateful. That you told us. I haven't known Cloud, Roxas, you or Tifa for long, but I already know I couldn't imagine my life without you guys anymore," Ventus confessed, smiling at the black-haired man. "So, thanks."

Zack wrapped an arm around the boy, smiling softly. "Anytime, kid."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure this fic is like total crap or something, but man, it really relaxes me, writing it. It's a lot of fun, and it's made me realize how much I missed writing fanfics. This isn't really relevant, but I just thought I'd mention it :)
> 
> P.S. I even confused myself with who to address Roxas as during the Leon scene, considering that it was kind of from Leon's perspective. Well, hopefully you guys weren't too confused. It was Roxas in the scene, of course.


	10. Chapter 10

Ventus had decided that he absolutely hated arguing with Roxas. Ventus hated arguing in the first place, but with someone as stubborn and aggressive as Roxas, it was torture.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I _had to_ confront him!" Ventus said, his voice small. He had told Sora and Roxas via text that he had confronted Cloud, and that he had even talked to him and Zack about Aerith. Needless to say, Roxas had not been pleased, and had made that clear by calling mere seconds after reading the text.

"Why did you **have to** confront him?!" Roxas' voice was shaky. Ventus flinched. He really didn't want to imagine how pissed the other blonde was. "We talked about this and we agreed to do nothing!"

"Why are you even angry?! It's not like anything bad came of it! He was cool!"

"Cool? _Cool_?! You've **got** to be kidding me, man. If anything, he's probably more freaked out now. I am willing to bet all my money - which isn't a lot, but whatever - that he went over to that asshole and told him he's willing to get back together, just to protect you!"

Ventus blinked. "No, I'm sure he didn't do that." But he wasn't sure at all. How could he be?

"Well, I'm sure that he did. Now he's back with that disgusting man, and it's all because you just couldn't keep your mouth shut! What the _hell_ , Ven?!" Ventus was about to respond in some way when he heard Sora over the line:

"Stop cursing! He didn't do it to hurt anyone, he was just worried about dad!"

"Well, now we definitely have a reason to be worried, don't we? What the actual f-," Ventus pulled the phone off his ear, sighing as he heard Roxas shout one curse word after another. He waited until he didn't hear any shouting before speaking again:

"I'm sorry. I didn't think he would react that way. And, you know, we still don't know if he did. You're just speculating."

He could practically hear Roxas grit his teeth over the phone. "I am, but I know my dad pretty well, Ven. I know he did it. I just do. It's a good thing we're coming tomorrow. Otherwise this whole thing would be...," the boy sighed. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I just wish you had told me."

"It's alright," Ventus murmured, his voice small. "But hey, I really do think Cloud's okay. He wouldn't be stupid enough to go back to the guy who abused and threatened him."

"He would, if it'd protect you. Or me. Either one," Roxas said.

Ventus bit his lip, about to respond as he heard the door shut behind him. He turned around, his eyes wide. He thought he had been in the apartment alone, but Zack was standing in front of him, his eyes wide.

"I'll call you back," Ventus said hurriedly, ending the call before Roxas could yell at him for yet another thing. This one, _this_ was his fault. He would consent to that.

"What did I just hear?" Zack asked, stepping closer to Ventus, his face pale. "No way did I just hear that. Right?"

"Uh..."

"So, some guy's hurting Spike?" Zack asked once again, his voice raised. Ventus could see the panic rising in him, so he grabbed onto the man's arm, shaking it.

"He's got it under control! You don't have to protect him. We didn't tell you 'cause we didn't want you to overreact."

Zack shook his head, on his way out the door. Which, to be frank, was ridiculous. How was he going to find and kick Sephiroth's ass when he didn't even know _who_ Sephiroth was?

"Zack!" Ventus jumped forwards, practically clinging onto the other man's waist. "Stop being an idiot for a second and listen to me!"

"What is there to listen to? I know _who_ it is!"

Ventus paused. "You do?"

"Cloud talked about going out again a few months ago, with me and Tifa. He said that this lawyer, Sephiroth, had asked him out, and he'd said yes." Zack glared down at Ventus. "It _is_ him, isn't he?"

Ventus said nothing, but he didn't need to.

"So, I'll just go and kill him now. I'll be back in about an hour. Okay?" Zack was on his way out again when Ventus grabbed onto his leg this time, clinging on.

"Nope. No. Not unless you want me to come with you, and be an accomplice to murder."

Zack glared down at the boy. "You don't get it, kid. I wouldn't expect you to. But Cloud's my best friend, and someone hurt him. I'm not gonna let them get away with that."

"Oh, shut up!" Ventus groaned, uncharacteristically angry at the moment. "Do you think Cloud couldn't kill him if he wanted to? I'm pretty sure he could! But Sephiroth is apparently like the biggest, baddest lawyer in town, and you don't say no to people like that! And if you go there and hurt him, you'll get in big trouble. And how will Cloud feel then?"

He knew he was getting through to Zack, so he just kept talking, determined to keep the man where he was: "My dad will be back in town tomorrow. He and Cloud will meet, and... and _something_ will happen! Then we can be open with them about everything, and together we'll figure out a way to make this work!"

"How?" Zack asked. He was highly skeptical at the moment, and the whole narrative of true love conquering all got old the second someone abused his best friend.

"Well, uh, my grandpa is really rich and powerful, too, isn't he? Maybe he could help," the suggestion came out of nowhere, but it wasn't really a bad one.

Zack blinked. He remembered Squall's goofy father, with his silly jokes and his leg cramps, and his... insanely influential company, not to mention his personal funds. "Huh."

"So, just... stay here," Ventus knew he had won, but man, he needed to watch his big mouth. This time he deserved the curses Roxas would send his way.

"You do know that Cloud's not gonna accept any kind of help, right?" Zack asked as he pulled Ventus up with him.

"He's gonna have to. Just this once."

Zack groaned lightly. "God, Ven, you have way too much faith. You and Sora both. Just... just like Aerith," he smiled softly. But whatever else he may have wanted to say about his ex was cut off by the rather alarming sound of a bag of groceries dropping to the floor. They both turned to the front door, and Ventus took a sharp breath.

Ok, _this time_ he **definitely** deserved whatever shouts Roxas would throw his way.

Cloud was standing in the doorway, obviously just having come back from the store. His hands were shaking, and he looked paler than ever. His eyes were fixated on Ventus as if he was seeing him for the first time. And partly, he was.

"What did you just call him?" he asked, his voice as shaky as his hands. He turned to look at Zack briefly, but turned right back to his son. When no one answered, however, he spoke again: " _What_ did you call him?!"

"He called me Ven," Ventus stepped forwards, looking into his father's equally blue eyes, his hands raised in surrender. "And he did that because I'm..." He was so afraid Cloud was going to reject him, throw him out, or at least yell at him. "I'm not Roxas."

Within seconds, arms were wrapped around him, and to Ventus' utter shock, his father was hugging him as tightly as humanly possible. And to his horror, he could hear his father's soft cries. His father was crying. His father was hugging him, and crying. Maybe he wasn't going to be thrown out after all.

In a few moments, Ventus was crying as well, clinging onto his father, for the first time allowing himself to truly cherish in the moment of being reunited with his dad. All these years, and finally they were back together.

"I can't believe it," Cloud's voice was thick from the crying and the shock as he pulled away only enough to softly place his hands against his son's face. He smiled brightly, nothing but love in his eyes. "Ventus. I can't believe this."

Zack was smiling in relief, going over to gather up the fallen groceries as subtly as he could. He was so happy for them.

"I'm sorry I lied, dad," Ventus murmured, still clinging onto his father, his hands holding onto the man's sweater, as if afraid he would disappear. "Sora and I met Roxas at Atlantica. And we..."

Cloud blinked, realization in his eyes. "You switched roles. Roxas is...," he then paused. That meant that they knew everything, didn't they? They knew everything about him and Squall, about them splitting the babies up. And at that moment, he was the one who was terrified his son would never forgive him.

"He's with my dad. Squall," Ventus confirmed. "We know everything."

And then Cloud was crying again, holding onto his son, never wanting to let go.

 

* * *

 

" _'Cloud knows_ '? Is that all he sent?" Sora asked, trying to get a better look at the text Roxas had just received from Zack. "Knows about what?"

Roxas grunted, sending the exact same question back to his godfather, getting a very short reply:

_"About your plot. It was my fault. The cat's out of the bag. Sorry, kiddos." - Zack_

"Fuck," Roxas buried his head in his hands, earning a shove from the other.

"Stop cursing, it's annoying," Sora had gone pale. So, Cloud knew. What did that mean? In the whole scheme of things, it didn't matter. They were coming tomorrow, and they could basically still go ahead with their plan. But Cloud knew... he couldn't even imagine the conversation he and Ventus must have been having at that very moment. Part of him felt a bit jealous. 

"So, I guess that's it, then," Roxas whispered. "Plan ruined and all that."

"It's not ruined at all," Sora said, getting his cheerful composure back faster than even he would have expected.

"And why is that?" Roxas asked. He didn't really care to hear it, but he needed a moment to let his brain process all of this. He just kept staring at the texts. Would his father be angry at him? Probably.

"Because we're gonna be there tomorrow anyway. I know Cloud wants dad back. So, we'll have him go to 7th Heaven as planned. He doesn't have to know dad's coming there as well. It'll all be fine, honestly. I promise."

Sora's words were nothing but white noise to Roxas at that moment. He buried his head in a pillow and allowed himself a good scream. Why did everything always go so majestically wrong?

 

* * *

 

Ventus, Cloud and Zack had been sitting at the kitchen table for a very long time, talking about everything. About how the kids had met, how they had come up with their plan, how Zack had helped, and how the Leonharts were moving to Radiant Garden the following day. Ventus could have hidden that detail, but he didn't want to. Now that it was out in the open, he wanted his father to know everything.

Cloud was staring at his cup of coffee. He hadn't said a word after it was revealed that Squall would be coming back. That his sons would be living in the same city as him. Would he be able to see Sora? Would they finally remedy that horrible living situation they had decided on so many years ago? A part of him was thrilled, but another part was terrified. Squall had ruined him. What would seeing him again do to him?

"So, tomorrow?" the man whispered, not taking his eyes off the cup. "Does he know about this? What you guys have been plotting?"

"No, we don't think so," Ventus shook his head. "He would be angry if he knew."

Cloud shook his head, finally glancing at his son. "No. He loves you, all of you. He'd be happy if he knew he was spending time with Roxas. Just like I was happy to find out that it was you," he took his son's hand and squeezed it tightly. "I wish you hadn't lied, though. I wish you had told the truth from the start, the minute you found each other at camp."

Ventus shrugged. "We couldn't have known you'd give us the option to get to know the other parent. You did separate us for 13 years."

And there it was. The accusation Cloud had been waiting for. It stung, it really did, but he deserved it. He deserved every bit of it. He shared a look with Zack before turning back to Ventus. There was no way to explain it. And it was too late for apologies. So what could he say?

"At the time, it seemed like the only way. We were 19, and completely foolish. Foolish and heartbroken. And we made the worst mistake of our lives. I can speak for Squall, I'm sure, when I say that we both regret separating you."

Ventus nodded. "I'm not here to torment you about that. I wanted to get to know my father. And here you are," he smiled brightly.

Cloud smiled gently. His son was so warm, so loving. Was that Squall's doing, or was that just who Ventus was, his natural composure? "And... do I pass?"

Ventus smirked. He blinked away the tears in his eyes, and nodded. "With flying colors."

"What are you going to do when they get here?" Zack asked, turning to Cloud. He was honestly curious about what the blonde was thinking. As usual, Cloud kept his thoughts to himself.

"I'm going to... I'm going to meet Sora," Cloud said, smiling at the thought. "And I'm going to see Roxas again. Beyond that, I don't know." He put away his coffee without taking a single sip. "It's not only up to me."

Ventus hesitated. He wanted to ask so badly, but he didn't know if he had a right to. "Do you hate my dad?"

Cloud turned his eyes to Ventus. He hadn't expected this question, but perhaps it was a fair one. And a part of him did hate Squall. He hated him for being the one to walk out on their relationship, and he hated him for being the one to suggest separating the kids. But he hated himself more for letting the man go.

"No," he said finally. "I don't think I could ever hate your father. Believe me, I've tried."

"Do you love him?" Ventus knew he was pushing it. He should simply shut up, like Roxas had instructed. But he couldn't. Not when he was so close to finding out how impossible his dream was. He wanted to know whether the idea of them as one, big, happy family was a faraway dream, or something that could actually happen.

"Your father was...," Cloud didn't know how to say it. He didn't even know how to think it. So he simply thought of the man he had once loved, those kind, grey eyes, that cocky smile. "Unlike anyone I had ever met before. And I loved him more than I had ever loved anyone. Something like that doesn't just go away. Again, I've... tried."

He stared at his wounded wrist for a moment, thinking about all the mistakes he had made. And there were plenty of them. A part of him wanted Squall to come and hold him, to take the pain of it all away. But he had given up on the chance of that happening a very long time ago.

He looked up as he felt Ventus place his hand upon his injured wrist once more, and watched his son smile.

"Dad?"

"Yes?" Cloud couldn't describe how good it felt to hear Ventus call him 'dad'. How good it felt to have him with him. He had never dared dream this would happen.

"It's gonna be okay. Don't you worry. We've got a plan."

All Cloud could do was laugh. He was too tired and bewildered for anything else. Soon enough, all three of the men were laughing, the kitchen filled with a surprisingly loud, joyous sound for a change. And it took a long time to die down.

"Well...," when Cloud finally gained his composure, he locked eyes with his son once more. "As long as you've got a plan, right?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter than the others, but I really wanted to focus on Ventus and Cloud in this one.


	11. Chapter 11

"I don't think this is such a good idea, man. What if we find something that's actually important, and we have to tell Cloud we've been snooping?" Zack whined. He and Ventus were in the apartment, on Zack's laptop, googling up things about Sephiroth.

"Well, then we tell him the truth. The truth is gonna be the only thing that'll be told in this family from now on. I'm sick of lies," the blonde said with determination, glancing at the time. His brothers and father would be arriving at Radiant Garden around 8 in the evening. It was noon at the moment.

"Stop being all fidgety, or I'm gonna be the same," Zack groaned. "Let's just go over the plan for tonight."

"Dad will close up at 7th Heaven around midnight. Sora will disappear out of the house around the same time, and Roxas will feed dad some lie about Sora running off to the bar to get drunk. Dad will follow Sora, and he'll meet dad," Ventus nodded, as if it was the most simple plan in the world.

"Isn't it confusing to be calling them both ' _dad'_ `?" Zack asked.

"Is **that** the only thing you took away from my plan?" Ventus sighed. He had finally found something relevant, an article written about Sephiroth. The only thing that made him pause was the date. "This is some article from the archives. It's from when my mom was alive."

Zack glanced at it. It was a simple article about how an up-and-coming law student - the student obviously being Sephiroth - had earned some award for doing something absolutely spectacular, surely. Whatever that was, Zack never found out, because he was focusing on the date on the article.

"What?" Ventus asked, looking at the black-haired man. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Zack said quickly, smiling at the other. "Just thinking that he looks like an asshole, that's all."

"He is," Ventus murmured, glaring at the man before putting away the laptop. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we should leave this until we can actually do something about this." He paused for a moment, not sure if he wanted to ask this. "Why is he threatening dad, though? Why would he want to be with someone who doesn't want to be with him?"

Zack opened his mouth, trying to come up with something adult, or clever, to say. Nothing came out. "Some people just... don't care about anyone other than themselves."

Ventus sighed. "Can I borrow this? I need to email Aqua."

Zack nodded, standing up from the couch and going into the kitchen, dialing Vincent's number. Vincent Valentine was a good friend of both his and Cloud's, and luckily for Zack, he would be able to help the man with his current dilemma.

"Zack, it's been a while," Vincent's rough voice answered, causing Zack to smile despite feeling rather horrified inside.

"It has, Vince, how've you been?"

"Fine, fine. Yuffie's here, too. Do you want to speak with her?"

"Not right now, I'll see you both later," Zack said hurriedly, pinching his nose. "Uh, I have a bit of a weird question for you."

"Don't you always?"

"Do you remember that camping trip we took, pretty soon after Aerith and I broke up?"

"You mean, almost 17 years ago?" Vincent's voice was dry. He was obviously as confused about this as anyone would be. But Zack had a point and he needed to know, fast.

"Yes. Do you remember the exact date of that weekend?" Zack asked, sitting down at the kitchen table, biting his lip. He prayed that it would not be the same date. He truly wished that it wouldn't be.

Vincent seemed to be looking around for something, finally finding it after about 30 seconds. Zack had always known the man kept a diary. "It was the first weekend of May. Why?"

"Didn't... didn't Aerith say she was going to go to some fancy gala thing that weekend, something a new friend of hers had invited her to?" Zack asked quietly, staring at his hands as he thought about the possibilities. It could be a coincidence. But it seemed like too much. Soon after Zack and Aerith had broken up, the girl had apparently met some tall, handsome stranger, who she had spent some time with. They had always figured he had been the one to father the three kids, but they hadn't ever bothered to look into his identity. Until now.

"Yeah, and I remember that because I was telling her that she should come and drink with me and Tifa instead," Yuffie's voice spoke, breaking Zack from his trance. "But _noooo_ , she had to go, because she had promised, and the guy was actually the one being honored at the gala-"

"Zack. You okay?" Vincent asked, his voice calm. But somehow the man had a feeling that his friend knew exactly what he had just discovered. Vincent was like that, sometimes it seemed like he could read their minds or something.

"Just fine. Thanks, guys. I'll see you soon," Zack ended the call, burying his head in his hands. " _Shit_."

 

* * *

 

"I've got a fantastic idea, blondie," Axel announced as Roxas joined him on the beach for the last time. They would be leaving in a few hours, everything was packed.

"What's that?" Roxas asked, glancing at his friend. During this short time, he had come to care about this redhead more than he wanted to admit.

"Well, you take me with you to Radiant Garden, and I sneak into this Sephiroth's office and set his hair on fire. How does that sound?"

Roxas blinked. "For a moment I actually thought you had a plan, asshole."

"It _is_ a plan! Sure, it would land me in jail, but I'm nothing if not loyal," Axel smirked, obviously still joking.

"Why would you be loyal to me? We barely know each other."

"Yet, we're friends. You said it yourself," Axel nudged Roxas' shoulder, handing him the same blue ice cream they had eaten at the camp. "Seriously, though, I am gonna come and visit you."

"Good. Just... try not to seem as terrifying as you usually are in front of my dad. Or dads. Whatever," Roxas murmured, eating the ice cream, his eyes on the horizon.

"You think I'm terrifying?"

"Nah, but a parent might think so," Roxas scanned the other man, from his hair to his goofy grin, and to his dark attire. "A parent would definitely think so."

Axel just smiled. "Ok, I'll be as civil as humanly possible for me," he turned to the horizon as well. "Too bad it's too early for the sunset."

"We'll find another place to watch the sunset at, when you come to visit," Roxas said. He was silently counting on it. Not that he'd ever admit that to Axel.

The two sat there for a while, in comfortable silence. And neither would have it any other way.

 

* * *

 

"Looks like that's everything," Riku said as he helped Sora pack the last of his boxes into the moving van. Kairi was currently hugging the brunette with all her might.

"We'll visit all the time. Constantly!" she promised, squeezing her friend tight, causing Sora to turn a bit blue in the face.

"Uh.... good! If I'm still alive then," Sora joked a bit, but Kairi got the hint, releasing her grasp. "Sorry."

Riku smiled a little. His eyes were on Sora. He was going to miss him so much. Maybe more than he had originally anticipated.

Kairi noticed the look on Riku's face, and smiled. "I'm gonna go now, give you two a moment alone. But let me know how it goes with your parents. It's such a romantic story, I hope it ends well," the girl gave a kiss to Sora's cheek, and then rushed off, leaving both the boys rather confused.

"Why did she leave?" Sora frowned, though a part of him was grateful. He really didn't want to cry in front of both of them. Ideally, he didn't want to cry at all, but that wasn't going to happen.

Riku shrugged, eyeing his best friend. He noticed the tears in the brunette's eyes, and smiled. "Come on, Sora. I thought you were stronger than that." It was a joke, and the silver-haired boy wasn't one to talk. He was almost crying, too.

"Get real," Sora murmured, rubbing his eyes quickly. "Look which one of us is crying," well, they both were, but Riku wasn't bothering to hide it. He didn't particularly care.

Riku sighed, leaning closer and wrapping his arms around the younger boy, holding him tightly. "I'll come and see you next week. Meet your dad, see you guys as a happy family."

"I think you're being a little too hopeful. I know you've been pretending for my sake, but I know you don't think this plan's going to work," Sora murmured, his face pressed against the other's chest.

"That's just 'cause I'm a cynical bastard. But, Sora," he pulled back to look the brunette in the eye. "If anyone could pull off such an elaborate plan, you could. I know it."

Sora smiled, his lips quivering slightly as he did. He was going to miss Riku so much. "Thanks."

"I should go," the other said after a moment of silence. "Roxas is gonna be home any second, and you have to go."

"Right. We do."

Sora watched as the silver-haired boy began to make his walk home. After he'd managed to take a few steps, however, Sora called after him:

"Riku!"

The other turned around, smiling. He chuckled at the sight of his best friend, his brown spikes a mess, his face red, and that hesitating look on his face he had whenever he wasn't sure if he should say or do something. "Tell me next time."

Sora only nodded, and soon Riku was gone.

 

* * *

 

**(16 years ago)**

_He was running late, and it was all his stupid dad's fault. It was Laguna who had insisted that he and Squall go and have a celebratory breakfast in honor of the boy's first day of high school. It didn't matter how much Squall had protested, and now he was almost late for class._

_"Shit," the brunette groaned as he looked around the school. There were almost no people around in the hallways, and the ones that were around didn't seem particularly enthusiastic to help him. Perhaps it was the angry scowl on his face._

_"Shit, shit," Squall looked through his schedule, having absolutely no clue as to where he might find the particular history class he was supposed to be sitting in right now. He knew he would have to ask someone, but he didn't want to. He hated being called it, but he knew he was antisocial. He hated meeting new people, he hated initiating conversations, and he hated listening to people talk about their problems. And he was not going to start his school year by betraying his principles and asking for help. Even if that would result in him being late._

_"Need some help?" he heard the voice, and spun around to find a rather attractive blonde staring at him with a half-smile on his face. The blonde was a bit shorter than Squall, and had the craziest blonde hair the boy had ever seen._

_Squall was half in mind to say no. It was just his instinct. But before he could, the blonde had stepped closer. Squall could tell that he was perhaps a bit shy. But still he had allowed himself to approach him. Why?_

_"Looks like you do. You're in the wrong part of the building," the blonde smiled, blue eyes meeting grey. "You want Mr. Ansem's class, on the third floor. Room 34."_

_Squall blinked. He knew that it would still take him forever to find the class, were he to do it alone. "I... thanks."_

_The other seemed to realize this. He grabbed Squall's schedule from his hands and started walking down the hall. "I'll take you."_

_Squall was a bit bewildered to say the least, but he followed the other regardless. Somehow, the blonde didn't seem the least bit put out by Squall's natural stoic personality, nor the frown on his face. He seemed different from the kids Squall usually ran into. And fine, he was gorgeous. That helped. But Squall wasn't about to stare, ever._

_"Thanks."_

_The blonde smiled at him, a rather dazzling smile this time. "That the only word you know?"_

_"No," Squall grunted, a little insulted by the joke. But a part of him was cursing himself for being like this. A part of him was encouraging him to talk to this blonde, to get to know him. That part sounded suspiciously like his big sister, Ellone._

_The blonde just smiled again. "I have history, too. And biology afterwards. And the rest, I can walk you to, you don't have to worry." He paused for a moment before turning back to look at the brunette. "It's the second week of school. You miss the first one or something?"_

_"My dad, he... insisted on taking me and my sister on a vacation," Squall murmured, blushing slightly as the blonde's eyes did not leave him for a second as he spoke._

_"On the first week of school?"_

_"My dad is a moron." Well, it was the truth._

_The blonde smiled brightly once more. "Is that so?" he turned back to the schedule, nodding. "But you'll be fine, I'm sure. And I'll help you out, if you want."_

_"Why?" Squall couldn't help but ask. Why was this kid so eager to help him? Did he want something from him?_

_The blonde looked at him, a little surprised at the question. "Why not?"_

_Squall accepted the answer, and together they walked all the way to the class, not going inside quite yet._

_"Mr. Ansem's not inside yet, so we've got time," the blonde handed the schedule back to Squall, his smile more shy now. Squall understood. So, the blonde probably wasn't one of those hyper active classmates who would make trouble, or be the teacher's pet. He was probably shy in crowds, and didn't like to stand out. That probably clashed with his good looks, and that insane, ridiculous hair._

_Well, Squall kind of liked the hair. It suited him._

_"Thanks for the help," Squall said as he placed the schedule back in his bag, trying to ignore the other's gaze._

_"No problem, Squall."_

_The brunette's eyes shot up, staring at the blonde. "How did you...?"_

_And then he was smiling again. Squall wanted to punch him. Or, a part of him did. Another part of him wanted to do entirely other things with the blonde, completely provoked by that smile. What the hell was wrong with him?_

_"It says your name on the schedule," the blonde smiled. "Squall Leonhart."_

_"Right," Squall felt dumb. He didn't like feeling dumb. "And you are...?"_

_"Cloud Strife," the blonde extended his hand, which Squall took only after mild reluctance. He didn't usually shake people's hands, but Cloud was an exception. Squall didn't know why, but he was._

_"Thanks for the help, Cloud."_

_"Anytime," Cloud smiled, opening the door to the classroom. "You coming?"_

_Squall followed the boy to the classroom, and his life was forever changed._

 

* * *

 

Leon let out a soft sigh. He glanced at the boys in the back of the car, smiling as he saw the two playing with their phones, seemingly content. Zell had been gracious enough to agree to drive the moving van, and furthermore, Ellone and their dad were also coming to help with the move. Leon felt grateful, silently, but as usual, he didn't really know how to show it.

His heart was pounding in his chest, and his hands were feeling unnaturally moist. He couldn't believe that after all this time, he was finally going back. A part of him wanted to scream, but another... just felt overwhelmingly happy. If there was anything he had learned during these years, it was that his love for Cloud had never died. And maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance to fix what was broken. And for once, Squall was determined to take a leap of faith and try. After all, Cloud was an exception for him. He always had been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not know why, but I decided that I absolutely love writing teen!Squall/Cloud. Like, I really, really enjoyed it. 
> 
> Also, thank you for the wonderful feedback, it's making this whole project even more enjoyable than it would be otherwise :) it means a lot!


	12. Chapter 12

**(16 years ago)**

  
_Cloud was feeling incredibly nervous. He had never gone on a date before, ever. And he wasn't even sure if this was a date. It had been a little awkward, actually, how it had all come about. Cloud and Squall, who had become fast friends, had been walking home from school together, as they did on most days. They did this despite the fact that they lived on different sides of the city. They would take turns walking the other home depending on the day. But on this particular day, Squall had seemed more nervous than usual. And after a bit of questioning and insisting from Cloud, he had blurted out a single sentece:_

_"Wanna have dinner with me tonight?"_

_It had made Cloud halt in surprise. It was the last thing he would ever have expected to hear out of his friend's mouth. And yet, despite this surprise, he had responded within two seconds:_

_"Yes."_

_He was currently waiting outside the restaurant the two of them would be eating at. It was a rather fancy one, Cloud realized in panic. He really, really didn't want to waste the little money he had by eating at a fancy restaurant when he could just as well buy a frozen dinner. But Squall had asked him, and Squall had decided on this place. And Cloud was not going to disappoint his friend. Because, despite how worried the blonde was, there was a chance that this was a date, and he didn't want to screw it up._

_He really liked Squall. He liked him despite his grumpy tendencies, despite his reluctance to talk, and despite his sassy comments. No, actually, Cloud liked him because of all those things. He liked just about everything about Squall. Maybe a little too much._

_"Hey," he looked up at the sound of Squall's voice. He looked rather handsome. Like Cloud, he had opted for the button-down shirt you usually wore to nice restaurants, but to Cloud's delight, the man had not abandoned his leather jacket, either._

_"Hi," Cloud smiled, a little awkwardly, perhaps. "I was worried I might've been at the wrong place."_

_"Oh, no, it's... Ellone suggested it," Squall murmured, rather bashfully. And then Cloud understood. Squall had probably gone to his sister for dating advice, and she had given him the name of the most romantic, fancy restaurant in the city._

_If this was a date, that is. Cloud did not want to make assumptions._

_They walked inside and got led to their table, Cloud jumping in surprise as he almost stumbled into Squall. The brunette had apparently wanted to help Cloud sit down, and the other hadn't noticed. After a few seconds of rambling apologies, they both managed to sit down._

_As happy as Cloud was that Squall was trying to "treat him right", or something, he did not entirely enjoy the implication that, were they on a date, he was the woman in the situation. Actually, he didn't like it at all. But he didn't blame Squall for it. The other seemed just as nervous as Cloud felt. Maybe he was simply doing what Ellone had instructed him to do. Did his sister even know it was a guy he was going out with? Probably not._

_"This place is... not exactly what I thought it'd be," Squall murmured as he opened the menu. The two of them had only gone to diners and sports bars before that evening, and the change was not exactly a welcome one._

_"It's really fancy," Cloud said quickly, wanting to say something polite, but it sounded more like an insult, though he didn't mean it that way._

_Squall met the other's eyes, smiling a bit. "Fancy means bad, doesn't it?"_

_"No, it's... no. No, no," Cloud murmured, opening his own menu and silently dying as he looked at the prices. Now he was finally becoming aware of the difference in financial situations between the two of them. Apparently, his expression was clear enough for Squall to read._

_"Something's wrong."_

_"I just, I...," Cloud sighed, leaning a bit over the table to whisper: "I don't really have money to eat here." It was embarrassing, but what would be even more embarrassing was eating the food, and then not being able to pay._

_Squall blushed for a second, but quickly recovered. "I asked you out. I'm paying."_

_"You don't need to pay for me, I'm perfectly capable of doing it on my own," Cloud murmured, blushing as well. This was not going well at all. "And besides...," he then realized something. "You mean, this **is** a date?"_

_Squall turned even more red at this, staring at the table intensely. It was rather amusing. Cloud thought that Squall looked pretty attractive like that._

_"I thought that was obvious."_

_Cloud was about to respond when Squall suddenly got on his feet, and to Cloud's horror, he realized that the other was going to run away. He scrambled onto his feet as well, running after the other, following him out of the restaurant._

_"Squall, wait!" he finally caught up with him in the parking lot, grabbing onto his arm. "I didn't mean that I didn't **want** to date you, I just wasn't sure. That's all."_

_Squall shook his head, looking like he was absolutely mortified with himself. That man and his pride. "I should have made it clear. I don't wanna force you."_

_"You're not forcing me! I'm here, aren't I?"_

_"But you... you didn't let me help you sit, or let me pay, or..." Squall had clearly been listening to Ellone's advice a little too intensely. "All that date stuff."_

_"Well, I didn't let you help me sit down because I didn't know you wanted to help, and because I'm perfectly capable of sitting my ass down by myself. I've been doing it for some years now," the blonde tried to make the brunette smile, but to no avail. "And that place was so crazy expensive that I would never want you to pay for me there. Okay? It's not that I don't want to go on a date with you. I do." Cloud took a breath. He didn't usually enjoy talking for this long at a time. "At a place we both feel comfortable with."_

_Squall blinked. He looked down at his date, a smile itching to form on his lips. "So, you... you **do** want to go out with me?"_

_Cloud smiled. But instead of answering, he leaned a little closer, grabbing onto the front of Squall's leather jacket. "Don't move."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because I'm going to stab you in the eye," Cloud groaned, in his usual deadpan kind of way. "Why do you think?" with that, he leaned closer and pressed his lips against the brunette's, attempting to show him just how much he wanted to be here. Just how much he wanted to be with Squall._

_Squall responded only after seconds of hesitation, wrapping his arms around the blonde's waist. And in that moment, they were both sure that, yes, they **definitely** wanted to date each other._

 

* * *

 

Cloud felt sick in his stomach. He couldn't believe that out of all the restaurants, Sephiroth had chosen this one. The very same one he and Squall had attempted a first date at 16 years ago. Obviously, the interior was completely different, as was the staff, but the location and the establishment itself were the same. And as Cloud looked at the man sitting across from him, he silently thought that he would do anything, absolutely anything, to have it be Squall with him instead.

"Stop looking at me like that. You're the one who came to me and offered me the second chance I so wished for," Sephiroth said, his tone pleasant as he ate his food. Cloud, however, had little appetite. But as he knew that Sephiroth was paying, he'd bought the most expensive meal on the menu just to spite him.

"Is this how you get all your dates? By threatening their children's well-being?" Cloud asked, his voice dry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to kill Sephiroth for what the man was doing to him, to his family.

"No, just the ones that are worth the effort," Sephiroth said simply. "Now, stop scowling at me, and eat your food."

Cloud was about to protest when he felt Sephiroth kick his leg under the table, rather hard. He stared at his plate, fighting back all the curse words in existance, all of which he wanted to shout at the lunatic at that very moment.

" _Eat_. You look like you don't eat enough."

"That has got to be the best joke I've heard all year. That you would care about my well-being," Cloud said simply as he started cutting into his food. He had absolutely no intention of actually eating, though.

"I do. In time, you will come to realize that," Sephiroth smiled. Cloud hated that smile.

Cloud merely glared. If only looks could kill.

"Will you be joining me for drinks after this?" Sephiroth asked, taking a sip of his wine.

"I'd rather die."

"Try that again," the older man said calmly, giving the other another kick under the table for good measure.

Cloud closed his eyes for a brief second to try to endure the pain, and then took a breath: "Unfortunately I can't tonight. I promised my friend I'd work the night shift, close up at her bar."

"How unfortunate. Next time, you'll have to make sure your whole evening is free." Cloud was determined to make it so that there would never be a next time. He just wasn't sure how, yet.

So, he said nothing, just stared at his food, counting the minutes until he could leave, fantasizing about different ways in which he could kill the man sitting in front of him.

 

* * *

 

"Are you sure that it's the same guy?" Tifa asked. She was in her bedroom, packing up her things for her visit to her parents' home in Nibelheim, a small town a few hours away from Radiant Garden.

"Well, no," Zack admitted. He had printed out the article they'd found, and had explained to Tifa that he felt there was a very good chance that the guy who had knocked Aerith up was Sephiroth. It seemed too crazy to be true, but the more Zack thought about it, the more it made sense. "But the dates add up."

"Do you honestly think that there were no other galas on that same day?" Tifa sighed. "And maybe someone else was being honored there, too. I have a hard time believing that Cloud's abuser is the same one who hurt Aer."

"That's exactly _why_ I think it is the same guy. Think about it!"

"I _am_ thinking about it, Zack," Tifa snapped. "Help me understand. What are the odds that the father of the boys just happened to run into their adoptive father, and then decided 'oh, this man is worth my time, I'm going to dedicate my life to tormenting him'?"

"I'm not saying it was up to chance," Zack said slowly, handing the article to Tifa. "I'm saying that he _knew_ exactly who Cloud was. I'm saying he knows about the kids."

"What?" Tifa sighed. She really didn't have time for this. "You've lost it, Fair. You really have. That sounds too much like a soap opera to ever actually be a reality."

"Are you honestly telling me that you don't think Sephiroth is capable of something like that? You don't think he's insane enough to track down the adoptive parent of his child, get involved with that guy, and then maybe, just maybe, worm his way into the life of the child, too?" Zack asked, his voice loud and filled with intensity. He was so sure about this. He didn't know why, but he was.

"Of course he's capable of it, I'm just saying I don't think it's-"

"What's the first thing that Sephiroth did when he started threatening Cloud, huh?" Zack interrupted. "He brought up _Roxas_! He threatened to hurt Roxas! That has to mean something."

Tifa was about to respond when they heard the door slam shut downstairs. Tifa lived above the bar/restaurant her father had dubbed 7th Heaven all those years ago.

"I'll go see who it is," Zack muttered. It could just be a customer, since Yuffie was downstairs working, but the slam of the door had sounded a little too aggressive to be anyone other than...

"Cloud," Zack rushed over to his friend, currently behind the bar, washing his hands. He had changed into a more casual attire, and he looked pissed as hell. The blonde had explained to both Tifa and Zack that he needed to keep seeing Sephiroth to keep his children safe. And reluctantly, the adults had promised not to tell the kids. For the time being.

Cloud glanced at his friend, grunting. " _What?_ "

"I... how was... I...," Zack didn't know how to begin to ask how his best friend's date with a psycopath had gone. He wanted so desperately to tell Cloud about what he'd found out, but he couldn't, not until he knew for sure.

Yuffie looked at both of them curiously, but unfortunately for her, she would not be getting an answer to her questions.

"Yuffie, it's 10 pm, your shift has ended," Tifa said as she came down the stairs. "Cloud'll handle the rest."

"Alone?" Yuffie asked, glancing at the blonde. "You ok there, Spike?"

"Uh-huh," Cloud murmured, not sparing the younger woman a glance. "Good night, Yuffie."

Once the girl was gone, and the customers were tended to for the time being, Tifa and Zack both sat on available stools, waiting for a report from Cloud.

"He didn't do much, don't worry," Cloud whispered. "I just need to find a way to cut him lose. And fast."

"We're working on something," Zack promised, his smile hopeful and reassuring, but it did little to ease Cloud's anxieties.

"So I've heard. Wanna share?"

"Not just yet," Zack glanced at the time. If everything went well, in two hours, Squall would be standing in this bar, and the two of them would finally have to face each other again.

Cloud glared at the man, shaking his head. "I'm not in the mood for any games tonight, Zack. Is there something I should know?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Zack was a terrible liar, so Tifa quickly interjected:

"Cloud, just relax. Everything's going to be fine. And before you ask, Vincent is with Ventus right now, so he's not alone. Don't worry. Someone's watching him."

Cloud nodded. He didn't want his son alone at any time, not while the situation with Sephiroth was still unresolved.

"Is there anything we can do?" Tifa asked, touching her friend's wrist, now partially healed, but the bruise was still there. "Anything at all?"

"No. Just... let me work. Forget about my shitty life for a minute," the blonde murmured, turning away from the two and towards a customer, obviously eager to end the conversation.

Zack, who had told Tifa everything about the current situation, leaned closer to whisper to the woman: "Two hours to go."

The woman nodded. She just hoped it would all go as planned. In all honesty, if it didn't, they had no idea what they would do then.

 

* * *

 

Ventus was walking around the apartment, his restlessness annoying the stoic black-haired man currently babysitting him.

"What is it that you're waiting for so eagerly?" Vincent asked curiously, frowning at the boy. He had been filled in on some of the situation, and he knew he was in fact talking to Ventus, not Roxas, but he didn't know about the current plan. And in all honesty, he didn't really want to know.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Ventus said, smiling brightly before getting out his phone and sending out a quick text.

Vincent raised an eyebrow, but said nothing else. He just hoped that wahtever it was that the boys were planning, it would not backfire.

 

* * *

 

_"Yep, we're ready. Just waiting for midnight." - Roxas_

Roxas and Sora were sitting in Sora's new bedroom in their brand new, fancy house. It was a very nice place, and had it been any other day, perhaps the boys would have spent more time admiring it. But not tonight. Tonight, they had a plan, and nothing was going to get in the way of it.

Sora was fiddling with his hands. "You know, I've never broken the rules. What if he doesn't believe you?"

"Well, then he's just going to search through the house and realize you're not here," Roxas shrugged. "Why would he think I was lying? That's stupid."

Sora shrugged. "I don't know." He jumped at the sight of the clock on the wall. "Alright, it's 11:30. Should we...?"

Roxas nodded. "Get in there," he opened the closet door, and watched in amusement as his younger brother got inside, a book in hand. "I'll let you know when it's safe to come out."

Sora gave his brother a thumbs up and an encouraging smirk. "We can do this!"

Roxas rolled his eyes, closing the closet doors before walking out of the rooms and downstairs, right to the kitchen, where his father was sitting. For a moment, Roxas paused. Leon looked so tired at that moment. He was staring at a picture. Roxas couldn't see from where he stood, but he expected the picture most likely featured his other father, or perhaps one of them as babies. He didn't care. None of the secrets would matter anymore.

"Heya, dad, I have something to tell you," Roxas said, doing his best impersonation of being extremely worried. "I think Sora snuck out."

Leon blinked, looking up at his son, quickly tucking the photo away. He had a hard time processing the words, and when he finally did, he let out a well-justified: " _Excuse me_?!"

"Sora's been talking about wanting to, you know, try drinking for a while now," Roxas said, trying his hardest to sound as convincing as possible. "And tonight he snuck out, he said he'd heard about this bar that serves minors. I couldn't stop him, I didn't notice until he was already gone."

Leon frowned. "You're joking, aren't you? _Sora_?!" he shouted, but obviously got no response. Could it be true? Why would Ventus joke about it? Those two always had each other's backs. He wouldn't try to do anything to get Sora in trouble.

"No, I'm not, dad!" Roxas ran a hand through his hair, trying to look as distressed as possible. "He said he heard about this bar called 7th Heaven, and how they serve alcohol to just about anyone there! You've got to go get him!"

Leon was already on his feet, grabbing his phone, keys and wallet. And then he heard the bar name. "7th Heaven?"

"Yeah, I think so," Roxas said, pretending to be confused. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

Leon muttered something under his breath, but he was already heading towards the door. "Don't you go anywhere, too! Keep the doors locked!"

"You got it, dad!" Roxas smirked, watching his father run to the car and drive off. "Wow, that was easier than I thought." He smiled to himself as he ran upstairs to free his brother from the closet. Now they'd finally see if their hard work would pay off.

 

* * *

 

Cloud had finally managed to close up, all the stools up from the floor, the tables cleared, and the dishes washed. He felt utterly exhausted. He just wanted to go home and sleep. In fact, that was exactly what he would have done, had it not been for the angry knocking on the front door.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," the blonde hissed, getting up from the stool and walking, cautiously, towards the door. He was irritated even further when he heard the person on the other side banging even harder.

"Oh, shut up, you asshole," he grunted, but despite this, he opened the lock and spun the door open, his eyes going wide at the sight of the person he was least expecting to see tonight. And, judging by the look on the familiar brunette's face, he was thinking the exact same thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I repeat: teenage!Squall/Cloud is my jam.
> 
> P.S. I know the whole Sephiroth mystery is a completely melodramatic mess, but... in my defense, so is this fic as a whole ;P


	13. Chapter 13

**(16 years ago)**

  
_Cloud was sitting on the grass outside the school, his eyes firmly closed, a look of discomfort on his face. He had had to take the bus that morning due to the fact that his boyfriend had told him he'd be late for school, and Cloud wasn't in the mood to walk to school alone._

_He flinched as he felt a hand on his back, and glanced up to see his boyfriend smiling at him. The other sat down right next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. "You look like you're about to die. Should I be concerned?"_

_"I took the bus just now," Cloud murmured, glaring at Squall. "You said you were going to be late."_

_"Well, turns out that the dentist was in early and managed to see me early. Why are you looking like that because of the bus?" Squall asked curiously, touching the other's face. He had become much more open and gentle once the two had started a relationship. But deep down, he was still the same old Squall._

_"It's embarrassing," Cloud grunted, shaking his head. "I'd rather you didn't find out **every** embarrassing detail about my life right away."_

_Squall smirked. "Come on, you can tell me."_

_Well, he knew he could. But he didn't want to. Still, Cloud had found that he wasn't particularly good at saying no to Squall when it came to anything. "I get motion sickness in cars. Why do you think I prefer walking?"_

_Squall sat silently for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle, but no more. He wasn't about to make fun of him for something like that. "I see."_

_Cloud glanced at the brunette, frowning. "What?"_

_Squall tried to find the words to describe what he was feeling, and only shrugged. "Nothing, I... I think you're-"_

_"Pathetic, probably."_

_"Adorable is the word I had in mind," Squall smiled, laughing a bit as Cloud looked at him with wide eyes._

_"That's even worse," he tried to shove the brunette away, pushing him onto the grass, glaring down at him._

_"You do realize that that does absolutely nothing to help your case?" Squall looked up at the blonde, smiling in amusement. Yep. Definitely adorable._

_"Shut up. I hate you," Cloud groaned, pulling away. He didn't, really. He was just grumpy. He was never taking the bus again. It was not worth the nausea. It didn't help that the bus went at a tortuously slow speed, making the trip all the more agonizing._

_"Well, I love you," Squall didn't mean to say it. It just came out, and once it did, he knew it was true. Of course it was. He loved Cloud, and he didn't want to take it back. Despite how guarded and reserved he was, Squall didn't want to be that way when it came to Cloud._

_Cloud's head spun back around to look at his boyfriend, his eyes wide with shock. It was clear that he had not expected his boyfriend to say that to him. Not now, and probably not ever._

_"What did you say?"_

_Squall blushed, shaking his head. "You heard me. Do not make me repeat myself."_

_Cloud was smiling now, his nausea completely gone. He moved over to sit on Squall's lap, straddling his boyfriend's waist, looking down at him. "I love you, too."_

_"You do?" When the brunette looked so surprised, it hurt Cloud, but only a little. His boyfriend was, after all, a bit of a loner._

_Cloud just looked at him for a moment, gently stroking the brown hair, smiling. "I do."_

 

* * *

 

Cloud just stared for a minute, and Squall stared right back. And then, finally, the blonde broke the silence: " _Squall_?"

The brunette was too confused and surprised to correct the blonde, and simply nodded. "Cloud. What are you...?"

"I work here sometimes," Cloud said, his voice breaking ever so slightly. He couldn't believe this. He had known that Squall would be coming back, but he wasn't prepared for any of this right now, right here. And it seemed that Squall had not been either. An idea was forming in Cloud's head, of how this had probably come to be. It was likely that their kids had plotted this. Was this the "plan" they had talked about?

Despite his bewilderment, Cloud opened the door further to let the other inside. And with hesitant steps, Squall stepped inside the empty bar.

"What are you doing here?" Cloud asked quietly as he closed the door once more, staring at the man, who seemed to be looking around anxiously. What the hell was going on?

"I'm looking for Sora."

A moment passed before Cloud realized what the other had just said. " _Sora?_ Why would he be here?"

"Because Ventus told me that he'd come here, because _apparently_ you guys serve minors," Squall spat out, and Cloud was honestly insulted by the implication, and by the other's attitude. 13 years, and **this** was what he was getting?

"He's not here, and we _don't_ serve minors." Cloud glared at the other, walking past him towards the bar, trying to let go of his anger. He understood why Squall had reacted the way he had. He would do the same, if Roxas had gone missing.

"Well, then I don't get...," Squall paused, watching Cloud. For a moment, he let himself relax and just look at the man he loved so much. He had been imagining this moment in his head for months, for years. And it was going nothing he had planned. And it was all his fault. "Did they plan this, somehow?"

Cloud looked up at the other, taking a breath. He felt so bitter. There was no romantic reunion, no true love's kiss. No apology. Nothing. "I was going to come and see you about this tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" Squall asked, his eyebrows raised. He walked forwards, sitting on a bar stool right in front of Cloud, with the bar between them as a barrier. They were both still guarded, both still too afraid.

"The kids, they... met at Atlantica," Cloud murmured, avoiding the other's eyes for the whole tale. He told the man everything about what he knew about Roxas, Sora and Ventus' plan. It was only fair. And he wasn't about to lie to his ex, not when it came to their children.

By the end of it, Squall had buried his head in his hands. Cloud couldn't even imagine how he was feeling.. or, maybe he could. He wanted to comfort him somehow, but he didn't know what to do. "Squall?" he murmured gently.

When he got no response, the blonde walked from behind the bar, moving to stand behind the other. He placed a careful hand on Squall's back, rubbing it gently, trying to make him feel better. "If it makes you feel better, I wouldn't have realized it either, were it not for Zack's big mouth."

Squall still didn't speak. He didn't want to admit it, but the feel of Cloud's hand on his back reassured him like nothing else would. Why was it that he still loved him so much?

"Our kids...," Squall murmured, finally breaking his silence. "...are a lot more resourceful than I thought."

Cloud allowed himself a smile. "Yeah, well. They _are_ our kids," he said. Maybe he and Squall weren't the most emotional, open, or even friendly people, but they were survivors. They knew how to handle any situation, and they were strong. And thankfully, so were their kids.

Squall chuckled gently, finally removing his hands from in front of his face. He looked over his shoulder at Cloud, who had not moved from where he stood, right behind the brunette. He sat up straight, looking the blonde in the eye. And with a very hesitant hand, he moved and placed his palm against Cloud's cheek, letting out a deep breath he had been holding for much longer than he realized. And at the same time, something inside him lifted. And for a moment, everything was alright again.

"It's been a while," he murmured gently, stroking the blonde's cheek with a softness he didn't know he had.

Cloud smiled the smile that Squall loved so, so very much. As he felt the blonde move his hand to run it through his brown hair, he could almost convince himself that no time had passed. That they were still 19 years old, and that he had never walked away.

How could he have ever left Cloud?

The two leaned closer, close enough that their foreheads were eventually touching. The bar was silent, no other sounds were present but their breaths, which were coming in shorter with each second. Just as Squall was about to lean closer and close the distance between them, they heard a noise.

It was the sound of a phone ringing.

Cloud pulled away first, looking around. Had someone left their phone at the bar? Just as he was about to turn back to Squall and apologize, the two heard a very familiar voice:

"Sora, you have _got_ to be kidding me! I told you to put it on silent!"

"I know, I'm sorry!"

The two men jumped up instantly, realizing that they were being watched. They both turned towards the voices, which seemed to be coming from the direction of the kitchen. And fair enough, the door to the room in question was slightly open, leaving just enough room for three nosy kids to be spying on them.

"Boys, come out," Cloud said, his voice shaky once more. He was partly upset at the interruption. He and Squall had been so close to reliving what they had lost so long ago. But at the same time, this meant that he could finally meet Sora. As he glanced at the man next to him, he could tell he was thinking something along the same lines.

The door opened, and three boys stood there, awkward smiles on their faces. A bit further away, they could see Zack as well. It seemed the adult had picked up the boys and snuck them into the bar through the back. It wasn't a terrible plan. Or, it wouldn't have been, had it not been for Sora's phone.

Squall stepped forward, taking in a sharp breath. "...Roxas?" he was looking at the boy he had considered to be Ventus this whole time. But no. This boy was nothing like Ventus, not really. How had he not recognized those sad eyes? They were so very much like Cloud's.

Roxas stepped forwards, his eyes never leaving Squall's. "Yeah, it's me. Sorry for pulling your leg."

Squall snorted, marching right over to his son and hugging him tightly, almost lifting the boy up in the air as he did. He couldn't believe this. A part of him wanted to be angry, or to feel betrayed, but no. He only felt overjoyed, and whole. Most of all, whole.

Cloud, on the other hand, was looking at Sora and Ventus, smiling brightly. "Hey there."

Without a word, Sora ran over to him, almost tackling Cloud to the ground. The blonde could feel the tears his son was shedding, and he attempted to soothe him the best he could. Ventus, too, walked over to them, a bit hesitant since he had already gotten his reunion. But within seconds, Cloud had scooped the other boy up in his arms as well.

For a few minutes, no one spoke. The fathers only hugged the sons they had lost for so long, and the room was filled with nothing but occasional sobs from Sora, or sniffling from Squall. Not that he'd ever admit that he was crying.

Roxas was the first to pull away, looking up at his father. "I didn't think you were capable of crying."

Squall smirked, ruffling the boy's hair. "I could say the same for you."

"I'm _not_ crying!"

"Really?" the brunette merely smiled, placing a hand on his son's cheek, wiping the tear that was falling down his cheek. "I'm sorry I didn't realize earlier."

"No worries. It wouldn't have been a very good plan if you had," Roxas shrugged, smiling. All the resentment he had left towards Squall had died away the second he'd seen the two fathers interact. It was very clear they were still in love.

Zack had snuck out of the back as well, sitting on one of the stools, smiling brightly. "It's good to see you again, Squall! Or, wait, was it Leon?"

Cloud pulled away from Sora and Ventus to look at Squall. " _Leon_?"

Squall flushed slightly, avoiding the other man's gaze. "I, uh, I go by Leon nowadays."

"Leon Leonhart sounds like the most idiotic name I have ever heard."

Squall rolled his eyes, but there was a small smile playing on his lips. Maybe, just maybe, he didn't have to go by Leon anymore. Maybe he could be Squall again. Maybe Leon had only been a temporary shelter to protect him from the emptiness in his heart. The emptiness that was now very much fixed.

"So, are we all good? We all happy? No one's mad at us, right?" Sora asked, looking between the two parents, a bright smile on his face. "Except for the interruption. _That_ you can be mad about."

Squall blushed slightly, shaking his head. "No one's mad. We're just glad you're all okay."

"And that we got to meet you," Cloud murmured, staring at his sons, all three of them. He loved them all so much.

Sora was openly crying again, his head buried in his hands. But they all knew the tears were happy ones. Both Roxas and Ventus tried to comfort their brother, hugging him tightly. Zack joined in on the moment, lifting all three boys up in the air as he rushed to hug them, too, earning a laugh from the trio.

Cloud walked over to Squall, a small smile on his lips. But this time, it was filled with hesitation and worry. Neither one of them knew what was going to happen now. "So, what? Do I call you Leon now?"

"No. You can call me Squall," the man said, his eyes on their children, though he was extremely aware of how close Cloud was standing at the moment. And he did not mind it one little bit. "You are the exception, after all."

Cloud said nothing, only turned to gaze at their family as well. He, too, felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He knew that nothing was resolved, and he knew that there was still the issue with Sephiroth to deal with. But he had his sons back, and maybe, just maybe, one day he would have the love of his life back as well. That was worth holding onto hope for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again a bit on the short side, but I really wanted to only focus on this one scene in this chapter. I hope it's at least somewhat good, since I've been trying to build up hype for it for a while.
> 
> P.S. Yes, me switching to writing Squall rather than Leon was definitely deliberate ;)


	14. Chapter 14

**(16 years ago)**

  
_Cloud arrived at the hospital as soon as soon as he heard. He rushed through the halls, determined to make it to his boyfriend's room as soon as possible. He finally found the correct one, opening the door without even realizing to knock, freezing at the sight of Squall, his sister and his father in the room._

_Cloud's eyes were on Squall. He had a bandage on his face, right in the middle of it. He didn't look hurt otherwise, more angry than anything. Somehow, that reassured Cloud. That had to mean he was okay, right?_

_"Dad, would you leave us alone for a bit? You too, Ellone," Squall murmured, watching as his sister stood up without hesitation. Laguna glanced between his son and Cloud for a moment, but he, too, nodded._

_"Good to see you, Cloud," Ellone gave Cloud a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room, closely followed by Laguna, who patted the blonde on the shoulder before exiting._

_"What happened?" Cloud walked forwards, keeping his eyes on the man he loved. Someone had hurt him. There was no way he had gotten this cut on his face over nothing._

_Squall shrugged. "It's nothing. Who called you?"_

_"Your sister. Why didn't you want me to come?" Cloud asked, ignoring his own question for now, sitting next to the bed, taking his boyfriend's hand in his. But to his surprise, Squall pulled away._

_"I didn't want you to see me like this. I feel like an idiot."_

_Cloud snorted. It was just like his boyfriend to put his pride above something like his well-being, or the state of their relationship._

_"You're not an idiot," he said finally. He leaned closer, this time not getting pushed away by Squall. He traced a gentle finger across the bandage, his eyes meeting his boyfriend's. "What happened to you?"_

_Squall took a deep breath before speaking: "I was out with Rinoa, we were just hanging out. I think she wanted it to be a date, but I told her I'm seeing someone. So don't worry-"_

_"I couldn't give a shit about that right now. Tell me what happened to you," Cloud snapped, impatient to know the truth._

_Squall chuckled dryly. "We were just leaving a diner last night when suddenly her ex-boyfriend, Seifer, just rushed up to us. He was pissed. He probably thought Rinoa was dating me, or something, and he was jealous. Whatever," he shrugged. "He tried to grab her, but she didn't want that, so-"_

_"So you started fighting him," Cloud said with a quiet voice. Of course he had. Part of Cloud was extremely pissed, but another was very proud of him._

_"I started fighting him. But suddenly, he pulled a knife on me," Squall sighed. "I didn't have time to react. He cut me. And then ran off. Coward."_

_Cloud blinked. "He cut you? With a knife?" he was horrified. He couldn't believe this had happened, and he especially couldn't believe how casual Squall was being about it. "Let me see."_

_"No, I don't want you to," Squall said quickly. "It's gonna leave a scar."_

_"I don't care," Cloud said, and without hesitation he moved his hand to the bandage, gently prying it open. And very well, it would leave a scar. The wound was stitched, but it was large enough to reach from the right side of Squall's forehead over to the left side of his nose. Cloud felt terrible._

_"I look... awful," Squall whispered. "Don't I?"_

_Cloud met his boyfriend's eyes, smiling a little. Sometimes he forgot that despite all of his tough act and all of his cynical comments, his boyfriend was still a teenager._

_"I think it makes you look even hotter than you already were," Cloud smiled. He touched the scar with a gentle finger before placing the bandage back. "So I wouldn't worry."_

_Squall was about to speak when Cloud stood up, heading for the door. "Where are you going?" he was afraid that despite his words, Cloud still found him hideous now, and wouldn't want him anymore._

_"I'm gonna go have a word with Seifer," Cloud said simply. He was halfway out the door when Squall scrambled up to his feet, grabbing onto Cloud's waist and pulling back into the the room._

_"You are not going anywhere. That guy is crazy. Do you want a scar to match mine?!"_

_Cloud tried to struggle out of the other's hold, but Squall was being particularly persistent. "You think I can't take him?!"_

_Squall wasn't sure. The two of them often went to the gym together, and had taken the habit of even practicing martial arts together. But, like Squall had established, Seifer was insane._

_"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Cloud took the silence as a negative, gently pulling away from the other's hold._

_" **Please** don't go," Squall whispered, and it was that that made the blonde pause more than his physical actions ever could._

_Cloud looked at his love, frowning. He wanted to go. But he also wanted to stay, and take care of Squall. He deserved it._

_"Fine," he said after a moment of silence, heading back towards the bed with Squall. He helped Squall get back in bed silently, tucking the other in._

_"Cloud," Squall spoke, causing the blonde to meet the other's eyes. "I'm glad you came."_

_The blonde nodded, letting out a heavy sigh as he positioned himself back in the chair, taking the other's hand. "Me, too."_

 

* * *

 

 

"So, you two seriously decided to adopt three babies when you were 18?" Roxas repeated. Obviously, they all knew the truth by now, but it seemed a little hard to swallow. "Didn't mom have any relatives that could have taken us?"

"No," Cloud said. "And even if she had, we wanted you three. We fell in love with you the moment we saw you. And we've not regretted a single minute."

The boys, Squall, Cloud and Zack were still at the bar, none of the adults paying attention to the fact that it was almost 1 in the morning already. The kids deserved some explanations, and the adults were willing to answer whatever questions they had. Once and for all.

"That's pretty cool," Sora smiled. He shared a glance with Ventus, who shrugged.

"We've been wondering... I... uh... _why_ did you two break up?" Ventus asked, his voice a little shaky. "Zack didn't know, and we... well..."

Cloud stared at his hands, trying his hardest not to relive the worst days of his life. To his surprise, however, Squall was the one to answer:

"I broke it off. I was tired, all the time. And I was angry at your father, for many reasons, most of them stupid ones. I guess when it comes down to it, we were too young to understand what we were doing, and too insecure to work to keep what we had."

Cloud looked at his ex, but Squall wasn't looking at him. He, too, was staring at the table as if it was the most fascinating thing to ever exist. "It was my fault, too. I was distant, spent too much time away. I was afraid."

Roxas blinked. He had a very hard time picturing his father, a pillar of strength and composure, ever being afraid. 

"Well," Ventus spoke once more, his smile bright. "it's done and over with now. No sense worrying about it now. We're all back together again."

Squall finally allowed himself to look at the man he loved. Would Cloud still want to be with him? Or was this all a lost cause?

"There's still some things to figure out," Cloud spoke, glancing at Ventus in a way that indicated some shared secret. Squall saw the realization on the boy's face, but didn't understand what it could mean. He wanted to ask, but his damn pride kept him from doing so. If they didn't want to tell him, they didn't have to.

"On that note, you kiddos should go to bed," Zack said, breaking the awkward silence. "There's still time to work things out tomorrow, and after that. Right, daddies?"

"Don't call us that," Squall murmured. He stood up, allowing himself another look at Cloud. "Where do you want to stay tonight, kids?" he asked, but his eyes were on Cloud, still, who had gone surprisingly pale. What was he hiding?

"Uh, I'd like to stay with dad tonight," Sora said, looking at Cloud. "I've never seen the apartment."

Ventus nodded. "I'll come with."

Roxas smiled at Squall, shrugging. "I guess that leaves you and me."

Cloud, still looking a bit strange, stood up as well. "Alright, sounds good. I came on Fenrir, so Zack'll drive you."

"I want to ride Fenrir, too!" Sora shouted. "Please, _please_?!"

"It's... up to your dad," Cloud glanced at Squall. Was this how they were going to be making decisions from now on? Asking each other what to do with the kids, but never allowing each other to confront their relationship? They had had that moment, before Sora's phone had destroyed it, but... there was still Sephiroth. Squall being back changed nothing.

"Go for it," Squall nodded, smiling ever so slightly at the shouts of joy coming from Sora moments later.

And so the group scattered for the time being, agreeing to meet again the next day. Roxas went with Squall to the new house, Sora came with Cloud on Fenrir, and Zack drove Ventus back to the apartment. It was slightly surreal, but they all knew it was going to take some getting used to.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Cloud was standing outside the apartment building, in the process of checking Fenrir, making sure everything was working right. In truth, he knew it was, but he needed a distraction. Sora and Ventus were still asleep, and Zack had gone to see Vincent about something. Cloud hadn't asked. He didn't really want to know. He was tired of plots and schemes in their family.

At the sound of a car pulling over, Cloud jumped up immediately. He had become rather jumpy since beginning his... relationship with Sephiroth.

To his surprise, the person getting out of the dark blue car was none other than Squall. And Roxas wasn't with him. So, Cloud could only assume he was here to see him.

"Morning," he said, watching the brunette curiously. A part of him couldn't help but register how handsome the man looked.

"Good morning. I was afraid I'd be coming too early, but... you're up," Squall murmured, reaching the other. He eyed the bike, smiling fondly. "Can't believe Fenrir's still running."

"Yeah, well, I make sure that it stays that way," Cloud murmured. He met the grey eyes, and raised his eyebrows. "Where did you leave Roxas?"

"He's still asleep. Couldn't get him up. I did try, though," Squall chuckled. it was odd. Squall seemed a lot less stiff these days, and more open to conversation. Perhaps he had had to become so. Growing up was partly giving up the tendencies of your youth, after all.

"Same with Ventus and Sora," Cloud couldn't resist the smile. He gazed at the other man, noticing their proximity. Maybe, just maybe, they could make this work. If only that one little thing didn't exist...

"I wanted to talk to you. About... us." The way Squall said ' _us_ ' made Cloud's heart skip a beat. The word held hope in it now, as opposed to the toxic way he had spoken it the last time, all those years ago.

"Me, too. I've been thinking," Cloud hesitated. "I..." But what could he say? Sephiroth would probably threaten to hurt Squall, if he knew about him. What could he do?

Squall waited, his heart hammering in his chest. He desperately wanted to hear what the blonde had to say, but for now, it would have to wait. They were interrupted by another car pulling over rather close to them, and the window being drawn open.

Cloud recognized the expensive car right away, and resisted the urge to scream. Of course. _Of course_ Sephiroth had the worst timing in the world.

"Cloud," the man said, glancing between the two of them. He looked polite enough, but Cloud knew what the man was really thinking. "I thought I'd take you out for an early lunch at Corona."

Cloud looked from Sephiroth to Squall, wanting to explain, so desperately. The brunette was glaring at him in that way he'd done once before. That way that said ' _you owe me an explanation_ '. And he did. He really, really did.

" _Now_ , Cloud." Sephiroth didn't even do him the courtesy of waiting for a response. He felt more like Sephiroth's very own puppet, one that he could kick and punch whenever he wanted, rather than an actual person.

"I have to go," it was the only thing Cloud could say to the other now. "I'm sorry." He walked away from Squall, getting in Sephiroth's car and silently wishing he could be anywhere but there.

 

* * *

 

Squall felt pretty pissed as he made his way back home. Cloud could have mentioned he had a boyfriend. He really could have. And if this guy wasn't his boyfriend, why had he been so demanding? And if he was, why had Cloud almost kissed him the other night? Had it been a mistake, just some remnant of their past love? He really didn't know.

As soon as he got inside, he was met with Roxas, who was glaring up at him curiously.

"Where were you? I just woke up and you weren't here. What's up?"

Squall groaned, ruffling the small blonde's hair before walking past him towards the kitchen. "I went to see your dad."

"Really?" Roxas smiled. He was really rather impressed with how well their plan had gone so far. They really were incredibly smart.

"Got interrupted, though. Some guy came to pick him up for... an early lunch," Squall murmured, trying his hardest not to look like he wanted to kill someone. Preferably that silver-haired bastard.

"Well, fuck," Roxas said simply, sitting across from Squall.

"Hey, hey! No cursing. Or something," Squall murmured, running a hand through his hair, too distracted to care. He frowned, though, as he saw that Roxas looked a little angry himself. "You know something?"

"I don't know if I'm supposed to tell you."

Squall raised his eyebrows, indicating that the answer to that question better have been ' _yes_ '. "Wasn't it only last night that you three made a big deal about us telling the truth, and the whole truth from now on?"

Roxas really hadn't planned on telling his father like this, but the truth was going to come out anyway. Might as well. "Fine. But promise not to freak out."

"I promise," Squall said simply. How bad could it be?

Roxas chuckled. He knew his father was going to break that promise. "So, that guy was Sephiroth. He and dad dated for a bit, but dad wasn't so into him, so he tried to break it off with him."

Squall blinked. Roxas was speaking at such a fast speed that he could barely keep up. But he did. "Wait... _tried_ to?"

"He tried to break it off, and that asshole almost broke his wrist because no, apparently you do not say no to him. _Aanndd_ then, well, then he started threatening dad, saying that if he doesn't keep dating him, he's gonna hurt me. Or Ven. Whatever."

Squall sat there quietly for the longest time, staring at his hands. He found it was extremely hard to keep his composure when every part of him wanted to scream, and preferably strange someone. No, not someone. Sephiroth.

 

* * *

 

**(16 years ago)**

  
_Cloud hadn't meant to break his word. Well, actually, he hadn't promised he wouldn't go after Seifer, but it was implied. And yet, as the blonde saw the other at school a few days later, he forgot all about whatever promised he may or may not have implied._

_Apparently, since Squall had decided not to press charges, Seifer was going to get away with it with only very little consequences. And as it happened, that was exactly what the guy was bragging about to his friends._

_Cloud walked closer, barely even registering the fact that his feet were moving. Seifer didn't turn or pay any attention to him. No one at school knew that he and Squall were dating, not yet. And Cloud was going to take advantage of that surprise._

_He grabbed onto the older boy's arm, forcing him to meet his gaze. Seifer was taller, and slightly more brawny than Cloud was. But hey, at least Cloud was quicker._

_"What the hell do you want?" Seifer hissed. He looked angry. No one ever dared cross him at school._

_Cloud said nothing, only punched the guy right in the face, sending him flying towards the lockers. He didn't wait Seifer to recover, and instead rushed forwards again, punching the asshole a second time. And a third, and a fourth. When Seifer finally caught on, he fought back, sending Cloud face-first to the ground. It hurt, but the blonde didn't care._

_Cloud shot back up, shoving Seifer against a locker, kicking him hard. "From now on, you leave Squall alone. You hear me?"_

_The other had the audacity to laugh. " **That's** what this is about? Who do you think you are, princess?" he tried to punch Cloud once more, but the other used the opportunity to push his elbow against Seifer's neck, keeping him still._

_"Did you hear me?"_

_Seifer stayed silent, partly due to having trouble breathing, but Cloud knew he had gotten the message. Slowly, he released the other from his hold, stepping back. He knew that what he'd done was childish, and wrong, but he didn't care. This asshole had hurt Squall._

_"Next time, I'll kill you, princess," he heard Seifer snap behind him. Cloud chuckled, turning back around to look at the other. He didn't find the bully intimidating in any way. If he had to, he could fight him again, and again. And it seemed that Seifer realized this, because the small smile that had been playing across his lips soon died away._

_"I doubt it," Cloud said simply, walking off without a word. He ended up getting a month's worth of detention, and a big scolding from both Tifa and Squall, but he didn't care. He didn't regret what he'd done one bit. And besides, Seifer never went after Squall again._

 

* * *

 

"Dad?" Roxas tried to bring Squall back to earth by grabbing his hand. "Dad, you ok?"

Squall stood up calmly, grabbing his car keys from the table, as if he was doing nothing out of the ordinary.

"Dad! What are you doing?" Roxas stood up, trying to stop Squall by grabbing his arm, but the other got free of his hold, keeping a steady pace towards the front door. "Shit! Dad, _stop_!"

Squall just kept walking, doing everything he had in him to stop himself from bursting out at Roxas. He, after all, didn't deserve it. Sephiroth, on the other hand, did. And he would get it.

"Dad!" Roxas got to the car first, landing himself in front of the door to the driver's seat, a look of shock on his face. He had never, ever seen Squall this angry. He had never seen _anyone_ this angry.

"Get out of my way, Roxas," Squall said simply, his voice calm, but his eyes... His eyes made Roxas think twice about disobeying him.

As soon as the blonde was out of his way, Squall got in the car and drove off, leaving a very startled boy behind.

Roxas took a breath. "Shit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite the fact that the idea of Seifer swinging a knife at Squall is pretty ridiculous, I had to explain the scar somehow, and I felt like an intense duel of gunblades just wasn't gonna cut it in this modern AU.


	15. Chapter 15

(16 years ago)

_"Just what the hell are you so giddy about? This is so unlike you," Squall grumbled as he was being forced out of the school by his rather enthusiastic boyfriend. Squall had absolutely no idea what was going on. All he knew was that he'd just finished his last class for the day, and immediately after Cloud had snatched him up, telling him he had something he wanted to show him._

_"Just wait and see," Cloud smirked. He led Squall all the way to the parking lot, right up to a very fancy, very cool-looking motorcycle. Squall had to pause for a moment to understand that his boyfriend had intentionally stopped here._

_"What is this?" the brunette asked, glaring at the bike. It was amazing, but he had a very hard time believing his boyfriend had actually bought a motorcycle._

_"This is Fenrir," Cloud said, circling the bike, smiling rather proudly. Squall registered that the smile was an incredibly adorable one. Despite this, he tried to keep his face straight._

_"You bought a bike, and named it," Squall said, glancing at the blonde. "Is that right?"_

_"Yes! I know, it was expensive, but I've never bought anything for myself, ever, and... well, I...," Cloud blushed a bit, shaking his head. "Never mind. Do you like it?"_

_"What?" Squall asked, ignoring the question for the time being. He wanted to know what it was that his particularly adorable boyfriend was hiding this time._

_"It was my birthday last week. Hence the bike," Cloud murmured, shrugging. He hadn't told Squall, because he didn't really care about birthdays, and didn't feel the need to celebrate them. He was pretty sure Squall felt the same._

_Squall's eyes went wide. "You didn't tell me it was your birthday." He instantly felt guilty. He didn't actually care about these things so much, but he would have, when it came to Cloud. He wanted to celebrate his boyfriend's birthday._

_Cloud shrugged. "It doesn't matter," he said. "I don't really care about birthdays. What do you think of the bike?"_

_Squall turned to the bike with reluctance, internally deciding he would indeed be buying something great for his boyfriend soon, to make up for the birthday._

_"I think it's awesome," he said honestly. "And it suits you."_

_Cloud's face lit up. "Really? Thanks! I got a good discount, Zack knew a guy who knew a guy."_

_"I'm sure he did," Squall decided that dorky, adorable, excited Cloud was someone he wanted to get to know a little better. "Should we take it for a test drive?"_

_Cloud smirked, and Squall felt his heart skip a beat._

_The two rode all the way to the edge of town, where Cloud reluctantly parked the motorcycle, jumping off. He looked over to the horizon, taking in the beautiful scenery at the edge of town._

_"You ride like a lunatic," Squall chuckled as he stood next to his boyfriend. "You sure you have motion sickness?"_

_"Not with Fenrir, weirdly enough. Believe me, I tested it beforehand."_

_"Looks like you found your vehicle of choice, then," Squall murmured, wrapping an arm around his love and pressing a kiss against his cheek. "I'm happy for you."_

_Cloud nodded slowly, and then seemed to remember something. "I got you something," he took out a small black box out of his pocket, handing it to the other. "If you don't like it, it's fine, I just thought we should both have something beast-like."_

_Squall snorted. Why was he so dorky, and why was it so cute? "Beast-like?"_

_"Well, it is called Fenrir," Cloud pointed out defensively, gesturing at his bike._

_Squall hummed, opening the box. His eyes went wide at the sight of a rather stylish necklace with a lion's head, with the lion roaring. For some reason, Squall liked it instantly. And he knew he was going to wear it all the time._

_"Like I said, if you don't like it, no worries," the blonde mistook his silence, biting his lip nervously._

_"I love it," Squall said simply, meeting those blue eyes. He smiled brightly, touching Cloud's cheek. "Thank you."_

_The two met in a soft kiss, which Cloud broke moments later._

_"You really like it?"_

_"I love it," Squall confirmed once more, fastening the necklace around his neck. "Should I name it, then?"_

_"Definitely," Cloud nodded enthusiastically, making the other laugh._

_"Ok. I'll pick a name and get back to you," Squall placed his arm around his boyfriend once more. "You know, I should be the one getting you something. It was your birthday."_

_"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm not interested in gifts given out of obligation."_

_Squall snorted. Nevertheless, his boyfriend would be getting a present._

 

* * *

 

Squall could feel Griever, his necklace, bouncing slightly under his shirt due to the speed in which he got out of the car in front of the restaurant Corona. He was fuming. He wanted to _kill_. And he would, unless someone stopped him. He was livid that no one had told him before. He would have come all the way from Destiny Islands just to punch that asshole.

He had no right to be jealous, he knew it. And this wasn't about jealousy. This was about protecting the man he loved from abuse.

He stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he spotted the pair. They were sitting at one of the smaller tables in the dining area, Sephiroth talking about something and Cloud looking like he wanted to die. This was his moment, while he still had the element of surprise.

But, that surprise was ruined the moment Cloud looked up, his eyes going wide at the sight of his ex. It looked like he made some excuse to go to the bathroom, and rushed over to Squall within seconds. He looked terrified. Squall wanted to hold him.

"Outside," he said before Squall could say a word. Dutifully, he followed Cloud out into the parking lot. He would, however, still kill Sephiroth.

"What are you doing here?" Cloud asked, his voice shaking. Only now did Squall notice the bruise on his wrist. It was fading, but it looked like it had hurt. Had the man hurt Cloud in other ways, in ways he couldn't see due to the clothes? Squall felt sick.

"Roxas told me. About that... asshole," Squall said through gritted teeth. "I came to have a word with him."

Cloud buried his head in his hands, muttering something about " _can't keep a secret unless it's about his secret siblings_ ". When he looked back up at Squall, the brunette was alarmed to find that the other looked deathly afraid.

"You need to go. He will hurt you if he realizes why you're here. He already got up in my face about it, demanding to know who you were. Just... _go_."

"There's no way I'm going anywhere," Squall said simply. This time he was going to stay and protect the ones he loved. Nothing was going to convince him otherwise.

"He will hurt you! Hell, he might even get someone to _kill_ you! Leave!" Cloud shouted in frustration, shoving the other. It didn't hurt, but the intent was clear. "Get out of here. This doesn't even concern you."

Squall smiled a bit. He wanted to be offended, but Cloud looked like he didn't mean his words a single bit. "It doesn't?"

"It... can't. Not anymore. I screwed up, this is my fault. I have to pay for it."

Squall shook his head. He started making his way back to the restaurant again, and was pushed back by the angry blonde once again.

"I told you to get out! Are you deaf?!"

Squall grabbed onto the blonde's wrist, gently. He could get out of his hold if he wanted. Cloud knew Squall would never, ever force him to do anything. The brunette held the blonde's gaze. "I'm not leaving you. Never again."

Cloud let out a sound that was almost like a whimper, but Squall couldn't be sure. Because that very second, he had leaned closer and crashed his lips against Cloud's, kissing the blonde like he'd never kissed him before.

13 years of longing all pushed into a single kiss, and it was almost too much for them to handle. Almost. Cloud responded in kind to Squall's intense touches, burying his free hand in the other's hair, kissing him with all he had.

Once the two broke off, after a time that seemed like forever, and only a second at the same time, Squall pressed their foreheads together. "It's gonna be you and me from now on. You hear me?"

Cloud chuckled softly. He kept his eyes on the ground, trying to think of a way to get the other to walk away. "I hear you."

"Well, this doesn't look like the restroom," they both turned towards the sound, Squall actually growling at the sight of Sephiroth.

"Stop," Cloud whispered, holding Squall in place before the other could do anything stupid. "Sephiroth, it's done. I'm not playing your mind games anymore."

The older man chuckled. "You do realize what you have at stake, don't you, Cloud? Your precious children."

Cloud frowned. He didn't remember ever telling Sephiroth he had multiple children. Perhaps the man had just found out through some of his connections. "Fuck you, Sephiroth." He would find a way to protect the children. But Squall was right. He couldn't do this anymore.

Squall, who had been unusually quiet, moved his hand so that it was intertwined with Cloud's. "I'm taking him home. And you're _never_ going to bother him again."

"You have got to be kidding me," Sephiroth said, his voice filled with toxic amusement as he reached forward, grabbing onto Cloud's wounded wrist once more, pulling the man away from Squall.

"Get off, you jackass!" Whatever Cloud was going to do to defend himself was interrupted by Squall, who had rushed forwards, tackling Sephiroth to the ground. And then, the man simply proceeded to punch the living hell out of the psycopath. He took all his rage and directed it at the man that had hurt his love.

Cloud barely had a chance to stop the other. He tried to get in on the fight, but Squall only shoved him away every time he did. Sephiroth was trying to fight back, but Squall clearly had the advantage in this situation.

The fight didn't last too long, though. Someone had apparently called the police, and seconds later Squall was being pried away from Sephiroth by no less than three officers.

"I am going to kill you," Squall hissed, his eyes on Sephiroth. "You touch him again, and you're dead!"

"Squall, shut up!" Cloud shouted. That would only be used against him in court, should Sephiroth choose to take him there. Which he would.

Sephiroth only laughed. "You just made a very big mistake." He turned to Cloud. "Take a good look at your boyfriend. You won't be seeing much of him from now on."

Cloud glared at the silver-haired man before taking a breath, and punching him once himself for good measure. The hit sent Sephiroth flying to the ground, but as he had expected, when the officers intended on taking him away as well, Sephiroth waved them off. Cloud would be of no use to him behind bars.

So, Cloud had no choice but to watch Squall get dragged off to jail, silently cursing Sephiroth with everything he had in him.

 

* * *

 

Zack got off the phone, frowning visibly. He walked over to the kitchen, where Ventus, Sora and Roxas were all sitting. Roxas had called Zack immediately after Squall's departure and told him everything, and ever since then they had been waiting in Cloud's kitchen for some news. Any news. They were keeping their ears and eyes open for any announcements of someone getting murdered at a fancy restaurant.

"That was Cloud. Squall's in jail," Zack sighed, grabbing his coat from the hanger. "We should go and see how they're doing."

"Wait, what?!" Roxas asked. "Why is he in jail?" His eyes went wide. "Did he actually kill Sephiroth?"

"Of course not," Zack said impatiently. "He kicked his ass, though, and kicked it good. The police came. Come on," he tried to usher the boys out of their chairs. He really had no idea how they were going to get out of this one. Counting on Laguna for help had seemed a lot easier when it hadn't included the need to get Sephiroth to drop charges against Squall.

"Who are you calling?" Ventus asked as Sora picked up his phone, dialing a number at quick speed.

"Grandpa. He has to get dad a good lawyer. _Duh_ ," he walked on ahead, and the last thing the others could hear him say was. "Heya, grandpa, it's your favorite grandkid. So, guess what?"

Zack sighed, turning to Roxas and Ventus as he proceeded to lock the apartment door. "This is not good. Your dad's in deep shit."

"Yeah, we get it," Roxas groaned. "I shouldn't have told him."

"I guess in this case truth isn't the best policy," Ventus murmured. He glanced at his twin, offering him a smile of reassurance. "But hey, at least dad went there to protect Cloud. It means that our plan-"

"Let's not talk about our plan for a while, ok?" Roxas whispered, rubbing his forehead. He felt incredibly guilty for spilling the beans, and a part of him was genuinely afraid that their father was going to get sent to prison for good.

The three of them walked to the car in silence, where Sora was already waiting.

"He's on his way, and bringing like fifty million lawyers with him in the process," the boy smiled. "It's gonna be okay!"

"We'll see," Zack whispered. He turned on the car and glanced at the boys to make sure they all had their seat belts. Despite Sora's reassurances, the car was unnaturally quiet as they made their way to the correct police precinct. All of them were extremely worried about the future, and on top of that, Zack could not get the thought out of his head that the man who Squall had beat up was very likely also the father of the three kids. Not that that mattered, but it could present them with even more problems down the line.

"Why can't anything ever be easy with your family, huh?" the black-haired man let out a heavy sigh. This mess was far from being over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit shorter again, sorry about that. But anyway, I can't believe how fast this fic has flown by! It's been so much fun to write, and I appreciate all the lovely comments and kudos and everything that I've been getting :) thanks a bunch!


	16. Chapter 16

**(16 years ago)**

  
_"Hey, who was that?" Squall asked, rubbing his eyes. He was lying in bed, watching Cloud. The blonde was standing by the window after having just finished a phone call with someone. He looked deep in thought._

_Cloud turned to his lover. "It was Aerith."_

_Squall nodded, waiting for more info. "What did she want?" he yawned, running a hand through his hair. They were currently at Cloud's home, which he lived in alone after his mother had passed away._

_"She's pregnant," Cloud said after a moment of silence. "She's gonna have a kid. Again."_

_Squall blinked. Aerith Gainsborough, who was a good friend of Cloud's, and had become a friend of Squall's as well, already had twins, and she was about the same age as the two young men. It was something they had all wondered about, who had gotten Aerith pregnant. Especially since she herself was so tight-lipped about it. But she never said a word, and they knew better than to ask again. But now..._

_"Do you think it's with the same guy?"_

_"I know it is. Just by the sound of her voice," Cloud whispered, tearing his eyes from the window and turning to look at his lover. "I have to go talk to her. Maybe take the babies for a few hours so she can rest."_

_Squall sat up, his head spinning slightly at the fast movement. "Let me come with you. I can watch the kids."_

_Cloud paused, looking at Squall. For a moment, Squall could have sworn he saw some amusement in his boyfriend's eyes. "You? Want to go babysit?"_

_"Why not?" the brunette asked defensively, standing up and walking over to the shorter man. "I like kids."_

_Cloud raised his eyebrows, not really believing it._

_"Well, I don't **hate** kids."_

_"Fine. But if it comes down to it, you're on diaper duty."_

 

* * *

 

Cloud had finally been allowed to go in and see his ex. He walked over to the cell, frowning ever so slightly. It was only a single cell, the only one the precinct in question had available at the moment. Squall was standing, clearly waiting for him. He looked exhausted, and perhaps a little worried. But it seemed Sephiroth hadn't gotten around to hurting him. Good.

"You fucking idiot," was what Cloud said, glaring at the other with anger in his eyes. The anger, of course, was not really directed at Squall, but at the situation. And at Sephiroth.

Squall snorted. "Nice to see you, too."

"You know, this is only going to make things worse," the blonde said, stepping closer to glare at the other, not caring that he was breaking the personal space. They had bars between them, after all. And judging by the kiss they had shared, maybe personal space wasn't going to be a problem anymore.

Squall smiled. "I don't care. I protected you."

"I can protect myself."

"Then why didn't you? Why did you let that guy treat you like some... some... _puppet_?" Squall snapped, frustration in his own eyes.

"He was going to hurt Roxas. I had no choice."

"He's bullshitting, Cloud," Squall snapped. "He may be powerful and rich, but he's not going to hurt a kid. And if he is, then I'll-"

" _What?_ Beat him up again?" Cloud whispered. He locked eyes with his ex, feeling a pain in his heart. They were never going to be together, huh?

"However many times it takes."

Cloud grabbed onto Squall's hand, gripping it from between the bars. " **No.** He's dangerous. I know you think he won't go through with his threats, but he is not worried about hurting people. I mean, he hurt me."

Squall frowned. He squeezed the other's hand tightly. He wished he could put it into words, what he felt towards Cloud. How much he wanted to protect him. "I know," he murmured. "That's _why_ I did all of it."

"I never asked-"

"And I never asked you to beat up Seifer for me, but you did," Squall interrupted. "How is this any different?"

"Other than the fact that Sephiroth is about a hundred times more dangerous?" Cloud raised his eyebrows, pulling his hand back. "Look, I'm happy you wanted to protect me, and I'm happy you...," he paused. He didn't even know if he should mention the kiss.

"That I what?" the smile on Squall's face made Cloud think that perhaps it would be okay to put the tension into words.

"You kissed me."

"And you kissed me back," Squall countered. "Didn't you?"

"I did," Cloud said slowly. He wanted to do it again, in fact. "But you and I, we can't. At least not until... this is all solved," he whispered. He didn't want to give his heart to the man again, not if he wasn't going to keep it.

Squall nodded with reluctance. "Cloud, I...," he wanted to apologize for walking out on the other in the first place. But would it be too late? Even if they did get back together, would those wounds ever be mended?

"Not now," Cloud said, pulling back. He was staring at the floor, a familiar look to Squall from their later years together. Cloud really did love avoiding conflict.

And just then, a police officer came by to late Cloud know that his family had arrived. Before letting the kids in, the blonde went into the waiting room, where the three eager children, and Zack, were waiting.

"Dad! What happened?"

"Is dad okay?"

"Is Sephiroth dead?"

"Don't you worry, I called grandpa, he's coming!"

"Does dad have a black eye? Or another scar?"

" _Enough_ ," Cloud snapped, staring at his sons. He was so tired, and frankly not really in the mood for this much noise. Or any noise at all. "You can go see your dad, but you have to be quiet, and not make a scene. We have enough problems as it is."

He watched as the three boys rushed off towards the cell, and then turned his eyes to Zack. "They called Laguna?"

"Yeah, and good thing, too. You're gonna need a good lawyer."

Cloud grunted in agreement, but his eyes were fixed on his best friend, who looked like he wanted, so very desperately, to tell Cloud something. "Spill it."

Zack took a breath. This was the worst time for something like this. But honestly, it was now or never. "Let's go sit down."

The two men positioned themselves at a more quiet part of the precinct, Cloud waiting with a tense look on his face. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

"It turns out that... Sephiroth might be the father."

"The father..?" In his heart, Cloud knew the answer as soon as he asked the question, but a bigger part of him, the more logical part, felt that it was too ridiculous to even contemplate.

"Of the boys," Zack whispered. He glanced at his friend, and then continued with reluctance: "I was searching up some articles about Sephiroth the other day, and came across one of him being honored at a gala some 17 years ago. Just around the time Aerith and I broke up, and she went to a gala with some mystery guy."

Cloud blinked. Zack couldn't be serious. "Zack, I'm tired. It could have been any gala, or any guy. Please just-"

"I know that it was him. I just _know_ it. Not only does the timing fit, but... think about it! Sephiroth knew you had kids, and brought them up as soon as he wanted to threaten you. He pursued you pretty aggressively, if you ask me, and now, now he won't let you go despite you obviously wanting him gone."

"That just means he's a very disturbed man," Cloud didn't want to believe it, and at the moment, he didn't have the strength to do it. "It doesn't mean anything else."

"Well, _I_ think it does. And I don't think it was a coincidence that he found you. I may be wrong, and if I am, good. Then we're only dealing with a garden-variety, abusive asshole. But if not, he might actually be a sociopath."

Cloud said nothing for the longest time. He just wanted to go to sleep. He wanted to forget about all his troubles, and just lie down and sleep. Preferably with Squall next to him.

"Cloud?"

"Let's just keep quiet about this for now," the other murmured. "Until we've got this settled." He stood up, his back aching, and a headache coming on. "But if you are right, then we are in deeper shit than we thought."

Zack nodded. "Whatever it is, though, we'll make it."

Cloud didn't respond. At this point, he really didn't believe it at all.

 

* * *

 

"Are you ok, dad?" Sora asked, his eyes a bit wide as he watched his father. It was surreal, and more than a little disturbing to see his father behind bars. It didn't suit him.

"I'm fine," Squall said simply. They all knew he would give such a response. "I'd rather you worried about your other dad. Make sure he's safe," he gave a small smile as he looked between his sons. "I can count on you to do that, right?"

"Obviously," Roxas smirked. "But dad doesn't need us to protect him. I know you probably think he does, but he's a lot stronger than you give him credit for."

"I'm not saying your dad isn't strong," Squall whispered. "I'm just saying that he might be taking Sephiroth's threats a little too seriously. Yes, he is an abusive asshole. But I don't think he'd go as far as make good on his threats. He seems like a coward to me." Squall was used to dealing with cowards. Seifer had just been the first in a long line of assholes, each one of which Squall had, one way or another, taken down.

Ventus frowned. "I don't know about that. I was there when he threatened dad. I heard it. And he... seemed pretty serious," he shrugged awkwardly. "But I don't know." He didn't want to alarm Squall if there was no reason to be alarmed, but at the same time he felt the need to defend Cloud's actions.

The room was silent for a moment, until Sora broke into a smile. "Grandpa is coming soon, he's gonna fix it all."

Squall groaned, but for once, he wasn't that bothered. He would need his father's help, if he wanted to get through this. "That's good. But his money may not be able to fix everything, at least not as quickly as you boys might think. We have to be patient."

They, however, did not have to wait overlong. A few moments later another police officer entered the room, announcing that Squall could be released on bail.

And waiting for Squall in the next room was none other than his father, looking uncharacteristically worried.

"Squall!" he rushed over to his son, hugging him tightly. Laguna always seemed to forget that Squall loathed physical contact, especially when it was unexpected.

"Dad," Squall murmured. He would never admit it, but a part of him was happy to have his father here, helping him.

"We're gonna get through this. If that guy wants to sue you, then we'll just sue him back. I mean, after what he did to-", the man paused, smiling at the sight of Cloud. " _Cloud_ , my boy. It's been a long time. You're looking well."

"So are you, Mr. Loire. Nice to see you," Cloud smiled politely. "You remember Zack."

Zack and Laguna shook hands and chatted happily while Cloud's eyes traced Squall. He was glad that the man he loved wouldn't have to spend a night in jail, but what did this mean, exactly? What did it mean for _them_?

While Laguna took the liberty of sorting out the police forms, Squall pulled Cloud aside, his hand lingering on the other's arm. "I want you, Zack and the boys to stay with me tonight, at the house."

Cloud glanced at the other. "Why?"

"Just in case."

Cloud had a feeling that, perhaps, Squall now believed Sephiroth capable of making good on his threats. And a part of him wanted to come clean about what Zack had told him, but no. Not yet. They had enough to worry about.

"Alright," the blonde finally said. "I hope you have a spare room."

Squall couldn't resist the urge to smile. "I do. One. You and Zack will have to fight for it."

Cloud smirked, the first genuine smile he'd given since the incident. "Let Zack take the room. I'll manage."

Squall could do nothing but stare as his ex walked back over to his family. No matter what, he was going to make sure nothing bad happened to any of them, ever again. Sephiroth was never again getting near any of them. He would see to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this is ok! It might take me a little while (like a week at most) to get this fic finished due to school stuff, but I hope you guys are still enjoying it, it's been a blast :)


	17. Chapter 17

**(15 years ago)**

_Cloud was sitting in the nursery, holding a tiny baby in his arms. He smiled a little as the baby opened his mouth in his sleep, making little noises. He decided that there was nothing quite as adorable as tiny babies sleeping. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax. He and Squall would do whatever they could to help Aerith with her new family._

_"You look really good with him," Squall's voice brought Cloud back from his thoughts. "It's like you were meant to hold him."_

_Cloud chuckled. "I wasn't, though;" he said. "I don't think kids are in my future."_

_"Why?" Squall frowned, looking at him. "You're good with him."_

_"Yeah, but I just don't think I could be a very good father. I've never had one, after all" the blonde murmured, stroking Sora's cheek as the baby slept._

_"You don't need to have a good father to be a good father. I should be the worried one. My dad is a moron," Squall said. He rolled his eyes._

_"Your dad loves you," Cloud murmured, his eyes still on Sora. "You know that."_

_"Whatever."_

_The blonde smiled once more. He allowed himself to think about the idea of him and Squall as a family. It sounded a little weird, but maybe it could work. Maybe. "So, uh, would this family be something we'd have together?" he was a little scared to be asking, but he really wanted to know. And he wanted it. If he ever did want a family, it should be with Squall._

_Squall blushed, which was something he didn't do particularly often. He looked pretty cute. "Maybe."_

_Cloud just smiled. He didn't want to pressure the other. He turned back to Sora, and closed his eyes once more. He felt truly happy. As long as he had Squall, he knew he could handle anything._

 

* * *

 

Cloud was sitting in the livingroom, flipping through channels. He was tired, and he wanted to go to bed, but despite his earlier words, he wasn't going to take up Squall's half-offer for them to sleep together. It was too soon, and Cloud was still a little pissed at Squall for picking a fight he couldn't win.

"It's 2 in the morning. You should really go to bed," he felt the sofa move slightly next to him, and watched as Squall sat down. The man looked wide awake, though, which indicated that he hadn't been sleeping, either. Had he been waiting for Cloud?

"I like Zack, but I'm not gonna share a bed with him. He snores," Cloud chuckled. "I'll just crash here at some point."

Squall stared at the screen, looking a little tense. "There's my bed."

Cloud smiled ever so slightly, glancing at the man he loved. "What would I be doing in this bed of yours?"

Squall blushed, clearing his throat. He still wouldn't meet the blonde's eyes. "Sleeping, of course."

Cloud wasn't worried that Squall would initiate something he didn't want. He knew that he wouldn’t. It wasn't about that. It was about them not rushing this, not while it was still fragile and new. Not when it was still so prone to breaking.

"Don't think so. Not now. Not yet," Cloud whispered. For a moment he allowed himself to remember the pain Squall had once put him through, and it hurt. It hurt more than he could describe.

Squall glanced at the other, as if sensing his tension. "Cloud, you didn't let me say it before. So I'm gonna say it now. I'm so-"

"Stop."

"- _sorry_ ," Squall whispered, staring at the blonde until the other finally turned to look at him, and their eyes met. "I should never have left. I was young, and I was stupid. And I thought you didn't love me anymore."

"I did. I never stopped," Cloud murmured. "Maybe I'm not so good at expressing it, but that's just me. If you don't like that…" _Then you don't like me_. But he didn't say it out loud.

Squall leaned closer, pressing their foreheads together and cupping the blonde's face in his hands. He took a deep breath, as if finally relaxing. "I _love_ every part of you."

"You don’t. You don't even know every part of me anymore. It's been 13 years," Cloud whispered, but he didn't pull away. How could he?

"And yet, I do." Their eyes met briefly, and this time it was Cloud who broke the distance between them, leaning close and kissing Squall, with hesitation at first, but soon harder, with more passion. He tugged at the other's shirt, pulling him closer. The kiss began to turn more heated, more like it had been in the parking lot. But like all good things with Squall and Cloud, it came to an end far too quickly.

They pulled away at the sound of footsteps, and tried to look as unsuspecting as possible as they watched Roxas make his way towards the kitchen, probably for a night snack.

Squall turned his eyes to Cloud, and smiled ever so slightly as he saw that the blonde was blushing brightly.

 

* * *

 

"A date? You _cannot_ be serious," Cloud glared up at Squall. Cloud, Zack, Laguna, Tifa, Ellone and the kids were around the kitchen table in Squall's new home, and Squall had just walked in, looking as chipper as the brunette could possibly get. And he'd announced that he wanted to take Cloud on a date.

"This is not the time to be dating, dad. You're in big trouble," Ventus scolded. He had been watching Laguna closely as the man went through various papers, trying his best to make this whole situation go away. They hadn't heard anything from Sephiroth, but they knew it wouldn't be over, not by a long shot.

"All the more reason. Come on, I owe you one, proper first date," Squall had his eyes on Cloud the entire time, and the blonde couldn't help but be a little shocked. The man was being so open, so communicative in front of everyone. Was he like this with everyone, or was Cloud a special case?

"He does. The first one was a disaster," Zack laughed a bit, quickly silencing himself when he felt Tifa kick him under the table. "Ow."

"What do you say?" Squall hadn't moved an inch, and was just smiling at Cloud in that adorable way of his.

"Fine," Cloud said after a moment of thinking, trying to turn his attention back to the papers. "But only a short one. We've got a lot of shit to sort through."

"You always were the romantic," Squall smirked before walking off.

"I may have been mistaken, but did I just see Squall smile?" Tifa chuckled. "What's gotten into him?"

"He's got his family back," Ellone smiled gently, looking at the children, and then at Cloud. "Why shouldn't he be smiling?"

"Maybe because there's a psychopath after our family?" Zack suggested, rubbing his eyes.

"He's got nothing on dad! Either one of you," Sora smirked, looking at Cloud. "We'll beat him, and then we'll all be happy."

Laguna smiled brightly, the two optimists looking at each other. "You're absolutely right, Sora!"

Cloud hid his face in his hands, but not out of shame. He just didn't want anyone to see how much he was smiling.

 

* * *

 

At 7:30, Cloud stood by the front door of the house, just like Squall had instructed him to. He was wearing a suit, just like he had been instructed, and he was getting impatient. He didn't like this, any of this. This wasn't the way he and Squall did things. At least it hadn't been before. All of this reminded him way too much of Sephiroth.

He watched as Squall's car pulled over (the idiot had actually driven off out of his own driveway to be able to drive back to pick up Cloud). The man got out of the car with a smirk on his face. "You look great."

Cloud glared at the other. Squall looked amazing. He had a suit on as well, one that fit him particularly well. He walked past the other towards his side of the car, getting in before Squall could even think about opening the door for him.

"I don't like it when you treat me like some fragile little flower, you know. I can open my own damn door."

"I wasn't even gonna try to open it," Squall smiled in amusement as the angry blonde got in. "Don't worry, this date's not gonna be what you think it is."

Cloud sighed. He allowed himself to look over the other. "You look good."

"So do you," Squall murmured. He started the car once again and started driving. He drove for a while, not telling Cloud where they were going.

"If you're just going to kill me and bury my body, there was a good, inconspicuous spot a few miles back," Cloud pointed out. He was getting a little confused about what exactly it was that the other man was up to.

"Please. If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead," Squall gave the other a smile before pulling to a stop in front of a… drive-through of some fast food chain.

Cloud was surprised, to say the least. He really didn't care what they ate and what they did, what mattered was spending time with Squall. But why the suits?

They ordered their foods and Cloud stayed silent the entire time, not questioning it. But when they started driving again, he spoke: "I think we're dressed a little too formal."

Squall smirked. He drove a while longer until he made his way to the same clearing which Cloud had driven them to on Fenrir the day he'd gotten the motorcycle. Except now, it was night and the stars were shining and the hill looked positively…romantic. Cloud was surprised once more.

"This is what I should have done on our first… first date," Squall said. He stopped the car and turned to face his love. "I don't know why I got it in my head that I'd have to try to be someone I'm not for you. That's really ridiculous considering that you're like the least fake person I've ever met. I know I'm like 17 years late, but.. here you go."

Cloud smiled. He looked around them, at the beautiful scenery. They had perfect solitude here, and what was more, they had each other. It was perfect. "I love it."

"I was hoping you would," Squall chuckled. He was already untying the tie. "Sorry about these. I thought it'd be… funny or something."

"Right," Cloud smirked. He removed his own tie and leaned closer, placing a kiss on the brunette's lips. "Who knew you were such a romantic."

"Well, I'd hope you. You're the only one I've ever tried to… do any of this crap for."

Cloud chuckled. He pulled back and grabbed one of the bags with the food and opened it, eating a fry. "Only you would refer to a date as crap."

"And only you would know not to take offence," Squall said. He ate his burger, unaware of the way Cloud was looking at him, with such a smile on his face that proved that despite everything, nothing had really changed. Not between them.

They ate and talked for hours. They talked about their past, they talked about everything they had been up to since their break-up, and they talked about possible future plans with the kids. Taking them on vacations, sending them off to college, all that. And not for a moment did either one of them even consider the possibility of their futures not being intertwined. They were in this for life.

Somehow they had ended up on the hood of the car, looking up at the stars, just chatting, oblivious to how late it was getting.

"You know, in a way this is such a cliché date," Cloud said. "Gazing at the stars on the hood of a car. You sure you haven't been watching romantic comedies?"

"I… may have consulted Ellone on some of the details," Squall chuckled.

"But she gave you such crappy advice last time."

"She's older and wiser now. And I am, too. I was wise enough to deny her suggestion of sweeping you off on a romantic getaway to some spa," Squall snorted.

"Ugh."

"Right," the brunette bit his lips, glancing at the other. "She only suggested 'gazing at the stars' or some shit like that. The rest was all me."

"I like it. All of it. The stars and the other shit," Cloud said simply. He leaned a tiny bit closer, intertwining their fingers together. "Thanks for asking me. I know I've been on edge. I'm just worried."

"So am I. But we'll make it. And if we won't, and I go to prison, you'll wait for me, right?" Squall was half-joking, but there was uncertainty in his voice.

"I will," Cloud said, easing the other's minor anxieties. "But it won't come to that. Isn't your dad good friends with the Mayor of Radiant Garden?"

"Yeah," Squall nodded slowly. "That'll help. That, and the fact that I used to date his daughter."

"Who, Rinoa?" Cloud smiled in amusement. "I cannot picture that."

Squall loved this about Cloud. He didn't get overly upset, he didn't get jealous. He was so… gathered and confident in his mannerisms, even if it was all an act.

"Well, it didn't work out. I told her I'm still in love with someone else," Squall said, looking up at the sky.

"Who?"

"This really annoying, crazy-haired asshole who ruined my life about 17 years ago by offering to show me around the new school," the brunette spoke, a slight smile on his lips.

"He sounds like he's the worst," Cloud smiled.

"He is. The absolute…" Squall turned his eyes back to Cloud, noticing the way the other was looking at him. "…worst."

"I bet."

They both leaned closer, pressing their lips together, and instantly Squall wrapped his arms around Cloud's waist while the blonde buried his in the other's hair. They kissed with all the fire and passion they had within them, teeth and tongues clashing as they tried desperately to make the absolute best of the time they had.

They stayed in the same spot for hours, until at around 4 am they finally forced themselves to go back to their real lives. But now they left with a promise of something better. Vacations with the kids, family dinners with Ellone, Laguna, Zack and Tifa, sending the kids off to college - or whatever else they might wish to do, and then just… growing old together. Just like they had always wanted, but had always been too afraid to ask for. They were finally asking it, and found that it had been worth the wait the entire time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the lack of updates lately, I've been busy with work stuff and life in general, but I am gonna try to write the last chapter as soon as I can :) thank you to everyone who has been reading and liking the fic, it means a lot to me!


	18. Chapter 18

A few days passed, and it was almost ominous how quiet it was. No word from Sephiroth or his lawyers. Laguna and Squall were behind locked doors most of the time, discussing their case, trying to figure out the best way to go about it.

Had he been anyone else, Cloud would have been insulted not to be included in those discussions. But he was Cloud, and he wasn't particularly interested in the technical details, he knew it would go over his head. Besides, he still had to work, and take care of the kids, too. And with all the three boys, and Zack, too, the house was not quiet for a single second.

"No way! _Daaadd_ , you had long hair? That's hilarious," Sora laughed. The boy was flipping through a photo album Tifa had so graciously (earning a glare from Cloud) brought over from her house.

"He did. Wasn't he adorable? Whatever happened, Cloud?" Tifa teased, smirking at her friend.

Cloud merely grunted, rubbing his eyes as he continued the process of making the coffee. It was 8 in the morning, and Sora, being the only one of the three kids to actually wake up at a reasonable hour, was wide awake, and very vocal about it.

"No way! Baby pictures!" Zack's voice caused Cloud to groan. He had a headache, and definitely wasn't one for early morning chatter. Well, at least he wasn't as bad as Squall was in that aspect.

"Not baby pictures, dad's like 7 in these," Sora corrected, showing the album to Zack, who proceeded to laugh.

"Laugh away, asshole. You're in those pictures, too," Cloud murmured, finishing with the coffee and sitting down at the table with the others.

"So what? I've always been perfect."

This time Tifa was the one to laugh.

"Hey!" Zack groaned, grabbing a bagel from the bowl on the table and tossing it at Tifa, who ducked out of the way.

"That's funny, I thought the kids were supposed to be asleep," Squall's amused voice caused everyone in the room to stand up. It was the first time in two days that the man had properly come out of the office, and he looked exhausted. And yet, hopeful.

Cloud stood up, grabbing the man by the shirt and silently walking him out of the house and into the yard, closing the door behind him. As he turned to look at Squall, he frowned. "What?"

"I thought you were going to take me out here to make out. Obviously not," the brunette cleared his throat. "What's up?"

" _What's_...? Squall," Cloud groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I'd like to know what your plan is. On, you know, not getting arrested."

The other merely smiled, leaning against the wall as he looked up at the sky. He really did look hopeful. "We have a game plan. A few of them, actually. But I don't think it'll come to that."

"What?"

"Sephiroth is a laywer, right? One with a pretty good reputation. Do you really think that he wants to be outed as someone who beats up his dates?" Squall raised his eyebrows, smiling a little.

"You want to **blackmail** Sephiroth? Please tell me you've got a more intelligent plan in mind," Cloud said through gritted teeth. He had absolutely no faith in this plan. Maybe Sephiroth did care about his reputation, but there was no way the man had not already thought this through himself. Especially if he really was Aerith's former lover, as Zack claimed.

Squall snorted. "My dad said this plan would earn me a kiss from you."

"It's about to earn you a punch in the gut if you don't focus."

"I forgot how worried you can get sometimes," Cloud watched with wary eyes as Squall stepped closer, wrapping his arms around him. Despite himself, the blonde relaxed against his touch. "Let's try this first. If it doesn't work, we'll go to court, and I'll make a case for myself. I was only protecting you, after all."

Cloud sighed. He stared at Squall's chest, unable to look him in the eye. "This is all because of me."

"No," Squall said firmly, his voice steady and calm. He had been anticipating this. "You're the _last_ person to blame for this."

Cloud didn't take the other's reassurances to heart. He took a breath, looking into his lover's eyes. "Zack thinks that Sephiroth is the father of the boys."

It took Squall a moment to register what Cloud had said. And even longer to make sense of it. "What... How? _What_?"

Cloud told him everything that Zack had told him, but it didn't make any more sense when repeating it back. Sure, it was possible, but with this logic, it was just as possible for the father to be anyone else.

"I don't know if that's anything worth believing, Cloud. And even if it is true-"

"It doesn't mean shit. I know that. We are their parents. But if Zack is right, this means that Sephiroth is a lot more twisted than we thought. I just don't want you to underestimate him," Cloud murmured, his voice low. "I don't want to lose you. Not after just getting you back."

Squall smiled. Despite what he had just heard, he couldn't help it. Cloud always had a way of making him smile, no matter what. He cupped the blonde's face in his hands and kissed his forehead. "You don't ever have to worry about that."

Cloud sighed. "Stop being so casual."

"Stop being so tense."

"I remember a certain someone not speaking to me for a week after I beat up Seifer," Cloud reminded the other, looking up at the man. The memory made him smile despite everything. Stubborn Squall was impossibly sexy.

"That was different. You were being an idiot."

"And you weren't?"

"No," Squall said, seriousness in his voice as he looked down at the other. "No. I protected you. He was hurting you, blackmailing you. If you think for _a second_ that I'm going to apologize for what I did, you're out of your mind."

There was a silence that was only broken when the door opened, Sora peaking his head outside. "Heyo. We're all dying to know what you decided, and grandpa fell asleep on the couch before I could ask."

Cloud pulled away from the brunette, making his way back inside. "Your dad'll explain. I've got somewhere to be."

Squall watched the other go, wanting to stop him. But as usual, he couldn't quite find the words to do so.

 

* * *

 

"Cloud!" Just as the blonde was about to climb on Fenrir, he spotted Tifa running up to him, looking concerned.

"You're gonna go confront him, aren't you?"

"This is my mess. I'm fixing it," Cloud would have gotten away if he had only been a mere second faster. But in the time it took for him to finish the sentence, Tifa had climbed on board, wrapping her surprisingly strong arms around the man's waist.

"Well, I'm tagging along. Let's go."

Cloud wanted to argue, but it was better for Tifa to see him than for Squall to do so, and he was wasting time. Without another word, he drove off, thankful that the girl hadn't at least tried to stop him.

 

* * *

 

Fenrir stopped in front of Sephiroth's law firm, and Tifa hopped off first, followed by Cloud, who took a while to simply stand and look up at the building. He didn't belong in a world like this. He should have known from the start.

"Having second thoughts?" Tifa asked.

"No. Just regretting it all."

"Dilly-dally, shilly-shally. That's what Aerith'd say."

Cloud smiled at the girl's words, turning to look at his old friend. "Yeah. That was her way of telling you to get over it."

Tifa's smile fell as she stepped closer, grabbing onto Cloud's hand. "If Zack is right, then we have to finish this. For Aerith, too, and the boys. Not just you. It's not just your fight anymore, Cloud."

Cloud wanted to argue, but he knew it was no use. And in any case, he knew she was right.

"You're not alone. You never have been."

 

* * *

 

The walk to Sephiroth's office was one Cloud hoped he would never have to make again. He walked alongside Tifa, neither one of them saying a word. They were both terrified in their own way, and while Cloud could feel that Tifa wanted to offer words of encouragement, he was glad that she didn't. He wouldn't believe them anyway, so they'd just be a waste of breath.

"Do you want me to wait outside?" Tifa asked as they stopped outside the office that said Sephiroth's name, on the highest floor of the building.

Cloud nodded. "I'll be back in a bit," he promised. He stepped inside without a knock or a word, closing the door behind him.

Sephiroth sat behind his desk, seemingly smug despite the black eye he was sporting. Cloud wasn't sure if it had come from his own strike, or one of Squall's, but he was glad that it was there.

"Cloud. What a pleasant surprise."

"Save it," Cloud walked over to the man, not wasting time on any kind of pleasantries or manipulation. It was time to end this. "You and I both know that you're not going to press charges against Squall."

Sephiroth raised his eyebrows, a small smile playing across his lips. He really, really made Cloud feel sick in his stomach. "And why is that?"

"Because if you do, then we'll go to court, and everyone will find out that you like to beat up the guys you date. And, well, the fact that you date guys. I suppose that's not something you advertise too much, either," Cloud said, keeping eye contact with the older man through his monologue. "It's time to end this. I want you out of my life. For good."

When Sephiroth said nothing, Cloud turned around, hopelessly wishing that this was it, that he would be free to go now. But, no. Of course not.

"But what about my children?"

Cloud wasn't surprised. Somehow, he had known. The chilling silence in the room was interrupted only by the sound of Sephiroth standing up from his chair. The man still maintained the eye contact between them, making Cloud feel more vulnerable than he'd like to be.

"They're not _your_ children. Even if you and Aerith... they've never been yours. And they never will be."

Sephiroth hummed. He had clearly expected this response. He only stepped closer, looking down at the blonde with a sickening curiosity.

"How does it feel, Cloud? Knowing that there will always be a chance that I'll come and take them away from you?"

Cloud wanted to hit him again, but it would be no use. It was over.

"Doesn't matter. Because no matter what you do, I will spend my whole life making sure they never have to cross paths with scum like you. I couldn't protect Aerith from you. But I will protect them."

Sephiroth chuckled, his tone cold, as usual. "You think you're some kind of hero, don't you? You can't even protect yourself."

"I'm no hero. But at least I'm nothing like you. That's something," Cloud opened the door to the office, finally breaking eye contact with the man. "I won't be hearing from you anymore."

Just as he was about to step out, Cloud heard Sephiroth speak:

"I will never truly be out of your lives, Cloud. Aerith saw to that when she chose me."

At that moment, it took everything Cloud had in him to not attack the other man. He wanted to kill him for everything he'd done. But he had Roxas, Ventus and Sora to worry about. Tifa was right. It wasn't just about him anymore.

"Aerith's gone, she's just a memory now. And as far as I'm concerned, so are you." With that, Cloud slammed the door shut in the silver-haired man's face, marching down the hall, Tifa following close behind.

"Well?"

"It's over."

 

* * *

 

Once the two of them made it home, everyone was awake, and clearly waiting for them. As Cloud stepped inside the house, Roxas rushed down the hall, running straight at the older man and wrapping his arms around his father's waist, hugging him.

"Dad! We thought you went to talk to Sephiroth!"

"I did," Cloud murmured, running a hand through his son's curls as his eyes locked with Squall's. Zack, Sora, Ventus, Ellone and Laguna were all staring at him, waiting. And Squall was, too. It was at that moment, with Tifa by his side and Roxas in his arms, that Cloud realized that this was his family. And he was going to do whatever he could to make sure he never lost them again.

"What happened?" Ventus asked, eager for news. "Did you hit him again?"

"No," Cloud whispered, pulling away from Roxas only to look the boy in the eye. "Were you all worried about me?"

"Of course we were! You can't just run off like that!" Roxas glared, shoving his father away in frustration, but it was clear he was more worried than angry.

"Agreed," Squall murmured, and once again the two locked eyes.

"I talked to Sephiroth, told him what you wanted me to. It's done, he won't bother us anymore."

"How can you be sure?" Zack asked. He was very skeptical about this, it couldn't just be this easy, right?

"I just am," Cloud's eyes never left Squall's as he spoke. "Anyway, I'm back. And I'm not going again. I promise."

Squall smiled.

 

* * *

 

"So, Sephiroth was our dad? That's _disgusting_ ," Roxas muttered. About an hour later, the whole family was gathered in the living room. Ellone had made them all some tea, and Squall, Zack and Cloud had taken turns in explaining to the kids the exact nature of the relationship between Aerith and Sephiroth. It was difficult, especially since none of them really understood it too well. How to explain that their mother had given her heart to a man who was clearly insane? But all things considered, they seemed to make enough sense of it. As much as they could, anyway.

"Tell me about it," Zack made a face. He tried to play it cool, but deep down he was thinking that, had he stayed with Aerith, none of this would have happened.

But then again, if he had, then the kids would never have been born either. And they wouldn't be here right now. He didn't want that, either.

"He's not your father," Tifa said, ruffling Roxas' hair. "Your fathers are right here."

"We know that," Ventus said hurriedly, smiling at the two men. Squall had his arm wrapped around Cloud, who was drinking his tea, looking rather emotionally drained. "But we're just really... weirded out, I guess."

"It's not every day you find out your biological father was blackmailing your adoptive father," Sora said, shrugging. As usual, he was the most optimistic of the three. "But the way I see it is that we're really lucky to have what we have. And if that creep stays away, then good. All the better for it."

"Just, don't blame your mother," Cloud finally spoke, looking up from his tea and at his children. "We can never really know what she was thinking. But what I can say for certain is that she loved you all, with all her heart."

Zack nodded, too, turning his eyes to the boys. "Damn straight."

The boys sat silently for a while, all sharing a look. Eventually, it was Ventus who spoke: "Do you think she'd be happy if she saw us all right now?"

Squall looked at Cloud, smiling. "She would be."

As Cloud closed his eyes, he could almost see it. That small smile on his friend's face, those green eyes lighting up with joy. And he couldn't help but smile himself.

"You're right. She would."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out, I was in England for a while and didn't have my computer with me. But here it is, the second-to-last chapter :) it was supposed to be the last, but I wanted to keep the epilogue as a separate thing, so that's what chapter 19 will be. I'll be posting that in the next few days, too! Thank you again to everyone who's read this story, left kudos or comments, or anything like that. It means a lot to me, really :)


	19. Chapter 19

Even for an optimist, Zack had to admit that he was surprised at how things had changed so quickly. A few months ago he had been convinced his best friend would never find anyone to be truly happy with, and now he was at the grocery store, carefully watching after the three boys as they ran around the store, picking up different items to buy.

The boys had decided that tonight, they would be the ones to make dinner for their fathers. Of course, they wanted it to be a surprise, thus Zack had been given the driver's duty. Not that he minded.

"Zack, look! It's a three for the price of one sale!" Sora smiled brightly as he grabbed three bags of marshmallows from the candy aisle.

Zack raised his eyebrows, glancing down at the shopping cart, groaning at the sight of chocolate, sour candy, cookie dough and quickly melting ice cream sandwiches. "Sora-"

Sora had ran off before Zack could quite finish his sentence. He sighed, shaking his head. Despite this, he didn't take the marshmallows off. He was happy to be able to spend time with the three boys, and if that meant that his wallet would be considerably emptier, it was a price worth paying.

After another fifteen minutes of wandering around the store, the four of them finally made their way back to the car, cramming themselves inside, which was quite difficult with the infinite amount of shopping bags.

"Just so you know, your dads are not that big on sweets," Zack said as he started up the car.

"Don't worry, I made sure we bought the actual ingredients, too," Ventus smiled knowingly, and as the two locked eyes, Zack could have sworn it was Aerith looking back at him. Sometimes it was easier to forget about her, and sometimes it was harder. Most of the time, it was hard.

"I wonder what dads are up to," Sora said as he ate a bite of his chocolate.

 

* * *

 

"I think it's beautiful," Ellone said, smiling as she looked over the ring. It was the same one Squall had bought all those years ago, and she was happy to know her stubborn brother had kept it all this time.

"How are you going to do it?" Rinoa asked curiously, inspecting the ring herself with a happy smile on her face. "You know, I think Cloud wouldn't have minded if you'd just have given him the cheapest one you could find." It was a good point, Cloud was definitely not picky about these kinds of things.

"I know that, but that's not really the point," Squall snorted, rolling his eyes. "And as for how I'm going to do it, I... tomorrow. I'll probably just take him out and just... ask."

"Don't get cold feet, now," Quistis said, looking over at him from behind her glasses. "You have been wishing for this for so many years."

"We'd hate to see you screw it up," Rinoa agreed, handing the ring back to Squall.

"He won't," Ellone said, watching her brother. "He's ready now."

 

* * *

 

Cloud suppressed a yawn, trying his best to focus on wiping the shot glasses. It was almost 9 o'clock, and 7th Heaven was as busy as always. But Cloud's shift would be ending in ten minutes, and he was extremely eager to get off.

He had always been excited to come home to Roxas, but now that he knew he had three children, a wonderful house, and a caring boyfriend to go home to, his eagerness to get out of work only grew. And Tifa knew this.

"I told you that you could go like a half an hour ago," she said, taking the glass from him. "I called Yuffie in, she'll bring Vincent, too."

"Vincent hates it when he has to work here. He doesn't even, well, work here," Cloud murmured, rubbing his eyes. He had been working almost non-stop at the delivery service, and that combined with the 7th Heaven, and his duties to his family, he was beat. Happy, but exhausted.

"Well, tell that to Yuffie," Tifa smiled. "Go home, Cloud."

The blonde chuckled, nodding reluctantly. He kissed his friend's cheek before heading out the back door. "Call me if you need me."

"Just go already, you're bothering me."

Cloud made his way home, his heart skipping a beat as he got off Fenrir and gazed up at the house he now called his home, too. After plenty of convincing, he had managed to let Squall let him pay at least some of the money that had gone into the house. But the brunette had been very reluctant to do so.

"I'm back," he called as he stepped inside, smiling ever so slightly as he heard his name being called, combined with 'dad', and 'Spike' (from Zack), followed by the sound of multiple set of feet rushing to welcome him home.

"Hey," he said, watching in amusement. Sora was wearing an apron and the silliest smirk he had ever seen. He seemed to have some food in his hair, lord knows how he managed that. Ventus looked as he always did, except that he still seemed to be clutching onto a cook book. And Roxas, well, he was holding a bottle of wine. "Aren't you a little young?"

"Huh?" Roxas glanced at the bottle. "Oh! Nah, we made dinner for you guys. I was just setting the table. Adults drink wine, don't they?"

"Adults drink anything you put in front of them," Zack confirmed with a firm nod.

Cloud resisted the urge to smirk, walking past them all. "Where's...?"

"Upstairs. He's been in there with Ellone and the girls for a while," Zack said. Now it was the black-haired man's turn to resist the smirk. He knew exactly what they were doing in there, and he was overjoyed about it.

Cloud raised his eyebrows. "Squall?" he called a bit louder, feeling a sense of excitement as he heard the door open only a few seconds later, and several sets of footsteps once again approaching him, this time from upstairs.

"Cloud! It's been a while! Good to see you," Quistis smiled, walking closer and shaking the blonde man's hand. "You're looking good." She hesitated. Everyone in their friend grew knew the general information about what had happened, but they didn't know the details, or what exactly Sephiroth had done to him. "Are you.. well?"

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you, Quistis," Cloud smiled, turning his eyes to Rinoa. Despite the fact that he was Squall's ex (sort of), there was no bad blood between the two. "Rinoa, how's it going?"

"Great!" Rinoa smirked, allowing herself to picture the wedding she would be attending some time later. "You're looking hot as always," she wrapped her arms around Cloud and hugged him tight before pulling away. "Hope you don't mind us staying for dinner."

"Not at all. The boys cooked, though. A fair warning," Cloud said, earning a laugh from the women and a gasp of shock from Sora.

During dinner, Squall couldn't help but smile at everything everyone said and did. He was finally happy and content, and it wasn't only because of Cloud. It wasn't even only because of the children. It was also because, through everything he had experienced, he had learned to be more open. Ellone was right, he was ready now. Maybe he had been ready for a while, but he had just needed that final push. And Cloud had provided that push for him, as he always had in the past. As the two locked eyes during dinner, squall found himself touching his pocket, where the ring box was, waiting. He found that he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with the other man.

 

* * *

 

"So, this is your home, huh?" Axel looked around with a small smile on his face as he walked around the house. Both the parents were out, as well as Zack, so that left Roxas, Ventus and Sora alone. Each one of them had invited their friends over. And, to his own surprise, Roxas had found himself inviting Axel. He didn't know why, but he wanted to know the redhead a little better. Not that he'd ever admit that.

"Guess so. Much better than the crappy apartment we had, that's for sure," Roxas said, taking a seat on the couch, glancing at the redhead. "So, are you gonna be around?"

"I guess. It's not a long trip here from Destiny Islands. Why? Did ya miss me?" Axel smiled a little. He was obviously teasing, but Roxas couldn't help but get a little bothered by the implication.

"No."

"Liar."

They both glanced up at the sight of Sora, Riku and Kairi walking past them towards the kitchen, Sora chatting away enthusiastically. Ventus, Aqua and Terra were upstairs, probably playing video games.

"Sora, are you sure you're not getting ahead of yourself? Your parents are not even engaged yet," Kairi said gently. Sora had been talking about possible locations for the wedding (Zack had a big mouth and couldn't possibly help but tell the boys about the proposal).

"They will be in like a few hours," Sora waved his hand. "Don't worry."

Riku and Kairi exchanged a look, both of them smiling. This was definitely their Sora.

"Alright," they both said, settling down around the table as Sora brought them all some brownies to eat.

"I'm really happy for you, Sora," Riku said after a moment of silence, his eyes on the brunette. "You deserve this."

Kairi nodded in agreement. Sora smirked at them both, and continued his quest to eat his brownie in the messiest, most impractical way possible. Finally, everything seemed like it was going to be alright.

 

* * *

 

Cloud got off Fenrir in front of Squall's office building, looking at his phone for the time. He was a little early.

Squall had texted him a few moments ago, asking if he'd like to go out for their lunch breaks. It wasn't often that the brunette could be convinced to get away from his work, so Cloud was going to take any chance he had.

"Hey," he looked up, smiling ever so slightly at the sight of his boyfriend, leather jacket and all. "Been waiting long?"

"Just got here," Cloud said, beginning the walk towards Squall's car. He paused, however, when Squall made no move. "What?"

"I thought we'd take Fenrir," the answer surprised the blonde. Sure, they both fit on the bike, but it was a tight squeeze, and they hadn't ridden together since they were teens.

"Okay," Cloud didn't question it. He knew Squall had to be up to something, but he didn't mind. He got back on the bike, making some room for his boyfriend, who joined him soon after, wrapping his arms around his waist.

"Ready," he murmured in Cloud's ear, causing the blonde to shiver ever so slightly. He did his best to focus on the driving, but with Squall, it was easier said than done.

They picked up some food at a drive-through, and to Cloud's surprise, Squall once again requested they'd go to where they had first driven on Fenrir, the hill overlooking the gorgeous scenery. It wasn't a popular spot for the locals or tourists, so it was usually quiet, which was why Cloud didn't mind at all. He preferred the quiet over a crowded restaurant.

Once they had arrived, Cloud proceeded to take the food out of the compartments of the motorcycle, completely oblivious to what the other was doing behind him.

Squall had taken out the small, black box, his fingers shaking slightly as he opened it. He gave it one, last look before clearing his throat.

"Give me a minute," Cloud muttered, placing the food on the ground before turning around, and then freezing on the spot. He stared at Squall, his mouth slightly open. He was not proposing. He couldn't be. "What the hell is that?"

Squall couldn't help but snort. That single sentence completely and utterly described their entire relationship. Neither one of them were ones for sappy romance, but if there was ever such an occasion, this would be it. "It's a ring."

"Yeah, but...," Cloud was actually blushing. It was a rare sight, but an adorable one. "But why do _you_ have it?"

Squall wasn't discouraged by the other's confusion. Even he couldn't quite believe he was doing this. Instead of responding, he got down on one knee, smiling up at the man he loved. "I'm dirtying my good pants for you." It was true. At his job, a suit was mandatory.

"I appreciate the sacrifice," Cloud murmured, his eyes never leaving the other's. "Squall-"

"Will you marry me, Cloud?" The brunette blurted out. He had had a stupid speech planned (Ellone had insisted he needed a romantic speech), but now that he was actually here, doing it, he knew it wasn't necessary. "You know I'm not good at any of this shit. But you also know that I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So... will you?"

Cloud stared for a good while, trying to gather his thoughts. And then, slowly, but surely, he knelt so that he was on the same eye-level with his love, and cupped his face in his hands. "What do you think?"

Without another word, he leaned closer and closed the distance between them, kissing his boyfriend senseless, his arms wrapping around the other, holding him as close as possible. For the time being, even the ring was forgotten. All that mattered was the fact that Cloud had said yes.

When they finally pulled away, both breathless, their foreheads pressed together, Squall spoke: "So, a yes, then?"

Cloud laughed. It was a short laugh, but one filled with more happiness than any he'd let out in a long, long time.

"Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a blast writing this fic! Thank you so much for the support, everyone :) I hope you enjoyed it. I will definitely be writing more Strifehart in the future, hopefully soon.


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